


A Simple Arrangement

by MimiWritesHerFandoms



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, Angst, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Divorce, Gay Male Character, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Male Slash, Mild Language, Older Man/Younger Man, Older steve rogers, Sexual Content, Stucky - Freeform, Top Steve Rogers, Younger Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:37:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 31,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MimiWritesHerFandoms/pseuds/MimiWritesHerFandoms
Summary: Steve Rogers was your typical, no-time-for-anything CEO of his own architecture firm. He didn’t have time for a relationship, not at the moment. What he really wanted was someone he could spoil, someone he could have fun with, and maybe have sex with, no strings attached.James “Bucky” Barnes was recently divorced, drowning in debt, lonely, and desperate to make a better life for his adopted daughter, Madison. He wasn’t looking for a relationship, what he wanted was someone to spoil him, shower him with money, and maybe, just maybe, make his life a little easier.What they needed was a mutually satisfying, simple arrangement, one that worked for both of them. But sometimes, things aren’t that simple.





	1. Seeking Arrangements

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been wanting to write a Sugar Daddy AU for quite a while, but I couldn’t think of anything, then inspiration magically appeared. Even though this is a Sugar Daddy AU, there will be no use of the word “Daddy” as I don’t write Daddy kinks.

“What are you doing?” Wanda whispered.

Bucky jumped, his heart hitting the back of his throat, his fingers slipping on the keyboard. His glasses, already precariously balanced on the end of his nose, slid off and landed in his lap.

“Jesus, Wanda, you scared the crap out of me!” he hissed. He quickly closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table in front of him.

“It’s after midnight,” his best friend and roommate said. “What are you doing up?”

"Looking for a job," Bucky muttered, staring at his feet rather than make eye contact with Wanda.

"You have a job," Wanda said slowly, as if she was talking to a child.

"I know," Bucky sighed. "But it doesn't pay shit and I'm drowning. Between Madi Bec's child support, my student loans, and everything else, I'm barely scraping by. I don't make the kind of money Liam does."

“So what? You’re gonna get a second job? You’ll never see Madi if you do that.”

“I barely see her now,” Bucky sighed. “What? Every other weekend and my “fair share” of holidays?” He mimed the quotes in the air before dropping his hands to his lap to fiddle with his glasses. “Maybe if I could get out from under my debt, I could get a better custody arrangement.”

Wanda sat down beside him and pulled the laptop into her lap. Bucky tried to take it from her, but she shot him a look, one that made it clear she’d kick his ass if he touched it. He huffed and threw himself backwards on the couch.

“You’re gonna yell at me when you see it,” Bucky grumbled.

Wanda opened the laptop, her mouth falling open as soon as the page loaded. “Seeking Arrangements? What the hell is this?” She shot a look over her shoulder at Bucky slumped beside her, then turned back to the website on the computer. “Are you kidding me right now?”

She was clicking through the pages so fast Bucky wasn’t even sure she was reading anything, the faces and names flashing by in a blur of muted colors. After a few minutes, she set the laptop back on the table, Bucky’s profile and picture glaring at him from the screen.

“You made a profile?” she murmured.

“Yes,” Bucky replied. “Do you hate me?”

“No,” Wanda said. “Of course not. You’re my best friend, Buck, of course I don’t hate you. I’m a little disappointed in you, but I’m willing to listen to your reasoning.”

“My reasoning?”

“Tell me why you’re online looking for a sugar daddy,” Wanda demanded.

* * *

“Mr. Rogers?”

“What?” he growled, swinging around and glaring at his long-suffering secretary standing just barely over the threshold of his office door.

“I-I’m sorry to bother you, but Mr. Barton is here to see you,” she said.

“Thanks, Jenny,” he muttered. “Show him in.”

Clint Barton was not only Steve’s best friend but also the chief financial officer for American Architecture. They’d known each other since college and Clint coming to work for him had been the natural progression of their friendship. He was one of the few people allowed to interrupt Steve when he was working.

“Why are you such an asshole?” Clint asked as soon as Jenny pulled the door shut behind him.

“I’m too busy to be nice,” he snorted.

“How’s that high rise for Stark coming along?” Clint asked, crossing the room to stand in front of the intricate model Steve had personally constructed.

“It’s done, model and blueprints. When is the presentation?”

Clint pulled his phone from his pocket and punched a few buttons. “In a few weeks. If that goes well, he’s mentioned us doing something with his vineyard in Spain.”

“Let’s get through the presentation first, before we worry about getting the vineyard,” Steve interrupted. “We can’t afford to mess that up. What’s the plan?”

“He wants us to come up to his place in the Hamptons for the weekend. The presentation for him and his investors will be Sunday.”

“You bringing Nat?” Steve said.

“Yep,” Clint nodded. “What about you? Are you still seeing that blonde bartender from the restaurant up the street?”

“No,” Steve shook his head. “We weren’t compatible.”

“Meaning?” Clint prodded.

Steve sighed and gave his best friend a dirty look. “Meaning, I wasn’t interested in a relationship and he was ready to move into the apartment on Central Park West.”

“Maybe he was just interested in your money,” Clint smirked. “You know, maybe he wanted a sugar daddy.”

“Ha, ha, you’re funny,” Steve mumbled.

“Steve -”

“Don’t start, Clint. I’m not interested in any kind of serious relationship. You know that. I’m too busy to be involved with anyone. Shit, I don’t even have time to find someone.” Steve dropped into the chair behind his desk and picked up a pen. “Now, if there’s nothing else, I’ve got things to do.”

Clint shook his head as he crossed the room, stopping with his hand on the door. “You need to get laid, Steve. In the worst way.” He was out the door before Steve could say anything, his laughter echoing back over his shoulder.

Steve spent the rest of the day thinking about what Clint had said. Maybe he did need to get laid, but he’d settle for a date. It stayed on his mind through his afternoon meetings, while he worked through the evening, and even during his drive home. By the time he shut his apartment door, he wanted to lie down and forget that Clint had ever said anything. Instead, he was sitting on the couch, a beer in his hand, staring into space, his brain working overtime. What he really wanted was someone he could spoil, someone he could have fun with, and maybe have sex with, no strings attached. God knew he had money to burn, and spending it on someone who brought him pleasure wasn’t such a bad idea. He’d scoffed at Clint when he’d brought up the idea of being a sugar daddy, but maybe that was exactly what he wanted to be, the older benefactor of a handsome, younger man.

But where the hell was he supposed to find someone like that? Out of curiosity, he grabbed his iPad and did a search for ‘sugar daddy’. To his surprise, pages and pages of websites came up.

“This is stupid,” he muttered, shaking his head and dropping his iPad on the couch. He grabbed another beer from the fridge, standing at the counter staring across the room at the muted light of the iPad, his brain twisting and turning, going over every reason why it was a bad idea to follow through with this. He’d drank half his beer before he started back across the room, staring at the tablet like it was going to jump up and bite him.

Two hours and countless websites later, he had created a profile on a site called Seeking Arrangements, and he was scrolling through potential sugar babies. Not that he would ever use that term out loud, it was slightly ridiculous and grated on his nerves. He was about to give up, call it a night, and go to bed when at the bottom of the screen, he caught a glimpse of an extremely handsome young man. Curious, he clicked on his profile.

Steve read through everything, impressed by what he saw. He took a deep breath and hit the button to message James Buchanan Barnes.


	2. Arrangement Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve meet for the first time and they come to an arrangement.

 

Bucky shifted nervously in his seat, crossed and uncrossed his ankles, fiddled with his tie, and straightened the crease of his pants. He shot another glance at the door, for what had to be the millionth time. He hadn’t been this nervous since the day he and Liam had taken Madi Bec home from the hospital.

He sipped his water, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Ever since Steve had messaged him, he’d been a bundle of nerves. He was basically a god; a gorgeous, rich, successful, older man. Bucky wasn’t sure how he hadn’t gotten lucky enough to draw his attention, but he was going to do everything he could to hold on to it.

They’d been talking for the last three days, progressing from online through the Seeking Arrangements website to texting and finally, last night, they’d spoken on the phone. Even though Bucky had promised himself that he wouldn’t get attached, that he wouldn’t let himself feel anything for Steve, his gut had clenched deliciously when he’d answered his phone and Steve murmured “James?” in a low, husky voice.

Just then, Steve walked through the door, his presence so commanding that not only was Bucky staring, but everyone else in the restaurant was too. He spoke to the maitre’d, his eyes darting around the room, finally coming to rest on Bucky. He nodded at the man at the podium, then he strode purposefully across the room, effortlessly weaving through the tables, stopping in front of Bucky.

“James? It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” Steve held out his hand, a smile on his face.

Bucky rose to his feet and shook Steve’s hand. Once the awkward introductions were over, Steve pulled out the chair next to Bucky’s and sat down. The waiter held out the wine list to Steve, but he waved it away, instead ordering one of the more expensive bottles of red wine that Bucky had seen on the list. He then proceeded to order a five course meal for both of them, everything from the salads to the main course and dessert. Bucky didn’t protest.

Once the waiter walked away, Steve turned those piercing blue eyes on Bucky. He resisted the urge to fidget, not wanting Steve to see how nervous he was or how desperately he wanted to impress the older man.

“How are you?” Bucky asked, praying his voice wasn’t shaking as much as he imagined it was.

“I’m doing well,” Steve smiled. “Better now.” He leaned back in his seat, his hands folded in front of him, looking unbelievably relaxed. Bucky envied him.

“And you, James? How are you?”

“Honestly? I’m nervous,” Bucky chuckled, shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Steve laughed. “Though I can tell you, you have no reason to be nervous. You wouldn’t even be sitting here if I wasn’t interested in spending time with you. I can assure you of that.”

Bucky had no doubt that Steve meant what he said. He seemed like the kind of guy who went after what he wanted and got it. Bucky was more than likely just another acquisition to Steven Grant Rogers. Oddly enough, that thought didn’t bother him as much as he’d thought it would.

* * *

Dinner turned out to be wildly successful, better than anything he could have imagined. James was attractive, smart, and funny, which made the time pass easily. As the evening progressed, he’d allowed himself to relax. It might have been the wine or it might have been James’s company, but either way, he actually enjoyed himself. By the time they left the restaurant, he knew that the arrangement with James would work for both of them.

The negotiations for their arrangement had gone surprisingly well. Once they’d established that they were compatible and shared a common attraction, they’d decided to settle on the terms of their arrangement. Steve had expected some push back from James, considering his requests, but the younger man had been more than willing to accept the terms that Steve had laid out.

They’d settled on a short term, six month arrangement to begin. They had agreed to two to three dates per week, time and place to be dictated by Steve, with the option to add more if events came up. James had requested every other weekend off “for personal reasons” though he’d stipulated that if there was an event Steve absolutely needed him to attend during that time, he would try to make himself available. He’d also promised he’d be available for short weekend vacations and out of town trips, with longer vacations being negotiable. In exchange, Steve would set up a weekly allowance for him, not to include extras such as clothes or meals. After six months, they could renegotiate or one or both of them could walk away, with no hard feelings.

Perhaps the most awkward part of the evening had come when they’d discussed the sexual side of the arrangement. Steve wasn’t shy about admitting that he was interested in a sexual relationship with James, but again, he wanted it to be free of complications. And he wanted to be very clear that he wasn’t paying James to have sex with him, he was giving him gifts as a way of thanking him for spending time with him. Should they have sex, there would be no additional money or gifts given for it and it would be entirely up to James if and when they did. Again, James had been quick to agree, though a blush had colored his cheeks during the discussion.

That blush had caused a knot of need and desire to twist deep in Steve’s gut. God, James was gorgeous and Steve could only imagine what he would look like in the throes of a mind-blowing orgasm. He was almost desperate to find out. The physical attraction to James was nearly overwhelming.

He’d been attracted to James the moment he’d first seen his picture on Seeking Arrangements. The attraction had only grown as they’d exchanged messages and more photos both online and via text. When he’d walked into the restaurant and seen him sitting at the table, a casual, laid-back ease seemingly pouring out of him, Steve had known he’d chosen wisely. James was exactly what he was looking for in a no strings attached companion.

He watched James out of the corner of his eye as his car maneuvered through the streets of New York. In fact, he’d spent most of the night watching him. It was hard to tear his eyes away from the handsome young man sitting next to him. His blue eyes sparkled and his nose crinkled when he laughed, which Steve found absolutely adorable. He was disappointed when the car pulled to a stop in front of a five story apartment building in a decent part of town. James cleared his throat and fidgeted nervously in seat.

“So -” they both said at the same time.

Steve chuckled and rubbed a hand up and down his leg. “Are you free Saturday night?” he asked.

“I am,” James nodded.

“My best friend is throwing a birthday party for his wife. I’d like you to come.”

“That sounds great,” James nodded.

Steve pulled his wallet from inside his jacket pocket, took out a wad of cash, and handed it to the younger man. “Pick up some new clothes, if you’d like. It’s casual, so nothing too fancy.”

“You don’t need -”

Steve silenced him with a wave of his hand. “If I’m taking your time, I’m happy to buy you some new clothes.”

“Okay,” James nodded.

“I’ll pick you up around eight,” Steve said. “Good night, James.” He leaned over the younger man and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

A smile lit up James’s face. He pushed open the door, whispered “good night” and stepped out of the car, glancing back over his shoulder once as he made his way up the stairs and inside.

The car had barely pulled away from the curb when Steve’s phone vibrated. It was a message from James.

_ Call me Bucky. _

Steve laughed under his breath and quickly typed a response.

_ Bucky? _

_ Short for Buchanan, my middle name. _

_ Okay, Bucky it is. _

_ Good night, Steve. _

_ Good night, Bucky _ .

* * *

“New clothes?” Wanda asked, one eyebrow raised in that slightly judgemental way she had.

“Yes,” Bucky dragged out the word. 

“So you’re really doing this?”

“Yes,” he said again, rolling his eyes.

“What if he’s like, some serial killer or something, Buck? What if he locks you in his basement and uses you as a sex slave or something?”

Bucky couldn’t help but laugh. He couldn’t picture Steve doing something like that and honestly, the thought of being Steve Rogers’ sex slave made him feel a little warm. But he wouldn’t tell Wanda that; she’d get that disapproving look on her face again.

“Wanda, you know I researched him through and through. Steve Rogers isn’t a serial killer. He’s the CEO of American Architecture. He’s not some random guy I met online -”

“But he is just some random guy you met online,” Wanda interrupted. “You’ve had one date with him, barely talked to him.”

“That’s not true,” he snapped. “We’ve been texting constantly and we’ve talked on the phone every night since we went out to dinner.”

“Have you told him about Madi?” she asked.

“Not yet,” Bucky mumbled. “Our relationship isn’t like that, Wanda. We don’t talk about a lot of personal stuff, nothing beyond asking how work was or how the day went. If and when it becomes necessary, I’ll tell him about Madi Bec. Right now, it’s not necessary.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “I don’t trust him -”

“He’s a good guy,” Bucky said. “This is going to work. For both of us. We’ve discussed it ad nauseum, both you and I, and me and Steve. Neither one of us is looking for a commitment, he has money to burn, and I need money. Wanda, he handed me two thousand bucks the other night and told me to go buy clothes, like it was nothing. I bought a bunch of stuff and still had money left over. A lot of money left over. I texted him and asked if he wanted me to drop the change off at his office and the response I got? Keep it. I sent like five hundred dollars to my credit card company. My first allowance check hit the bank yesterday and for once, I’m not wondering how I’m going to pay Madi Bec’s child support or if I’ll have to give up my daily Starbucks run. Just, lay off, okay?”

“Fine,” Wanda pouted. “Let me just say this. When this goes south, I’ll be here so you can cry on my shoulder. I promise.”

“You got it.” He snatched his phone off the table and shoved it in his pocket. “I gotta go. His car is picking me up at eight.” He kissed Wanda’s cheek and hurried out the door.

Sure enough, Steve’s car was idling at the curb, his driver, Peter, leaning against it.

“Mr. Barnes,” he smiled as soon as he saw Bucky and opened the back door. “How are you tonight?”

“I’m good, thank you.” He peered into the backseat. “Steve’s not here?”

“No, sir,” Peter shook his head. “Mr. Rogers has gone ahead with Mr. Barton. He’ll be meeting you there. I’m supposed to call him when we arrive.”

“Oh, okay,” Bucky shrugged and climbed into the car, hoping his disappointment wasn’t obvious.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the parking garage of a high rise apartment building that overlooked Central Park. Steve appeared just as Peter opened the door for Bucky and he stepped out of the car.

“Bucky! Hi!” Steve hurried to his side, clapping Peter on the shoulder as he pushed past him. “Thank you, Peter, you can have the rest of the night off.”

“Thank you, Mr. Rogers,” Peter smiled. “Call me if you need me.”

Steve waited until Peter was walking out the side door of the garage, before turning his attention back to Bucky. “I wanted to talk to you before we went upstairs. I know we didn’t really talk about what we would say if people asked how we met, but -”

“You don’t want anyone to know about our arrangement,” Bucky finished. “Trust me, I feel the same way. Maybe we could just say we met at the gym or something?”

“That is a great idea,” Steve smiled, visibly relaxing, his hand resting on Bucky’s forearm. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Bucky nodded.

“You look great by the way,” Steve murmured, his hand sliding down Bucky’s arm, his fingers brushing against the back of his hand.

“Thanks.” Bucky felt a blush coloring his cheeks. Heat pooled in the pit of his stomach thanks to Steve. That was unexpected. God, he was so close the light scent of his cologne filled Bucky’s nostrils and his warm breath blew against his cheek. To Bucky’s surprise, Steve cupped the back of his head and pulled him close, brushing a kiss across his lips. Bucky’s eyes slipped closed and he exhaled slowly.

“We should go,” Steve whispered.

They hashed out the details of their fake meeting in the elevator, making sure they were clear on the important points. They also agreed that sticking with tonight being their second date was the best idea. No sense rushing anything, whether in reality or fictionally.

“This place is gorgeous,” Bucky said as he stepped off the elevator behind Steve.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty great place to live,” Steve nodded. “And my view is great.”

“What? You live in this building? Really?”

Steve nodded and laughed. ““Two floors up. If you’d like, I’ll show you around after the party.”

“That would be amazing,” Bucky murmured.

Steve stopped outside an apartment door covered in black and red streamers. “You ready for this?” he asked.

“Are you?” Bucky grinned.

“No,” Steve laughed, “not even a little.”

* * *

Steve leaned against the bar, something decidedly stronger than a beer in his hand, watching Natasha give Bucky the third degree. He seemed to be handling himself pretty well, so Steve opted to wait and watch. If it looked like Nat was getting more obnoxious than usual, he’d step in.

“He’s cute,” Clint said, knocking his elbow into Steve’s, making his drink slosh over the side of the glass.

“Thank you?” Steve mumbled, eyebrow raised. “What’s your point?”

“Nothing, he’s just cute, that’s all,” Clint laughed.

“He is cute,” Steve chuckled.

“You met him at the gym?”

“Yes,” Steve replied. “Am I going to get the third degree from you now? I already got a million questions from Nat.”

“We’re just curious,” Clint shrugged. “He came out of nowhere. I had no idea you’d even met anyone.”

“I don’t tell you everything, Barton,” Steve scoffed.

“He’s quite a bit younger than you, isn’t he?”

“A few years,” Steve said. “Something wrong with that?”

Clint shook his head. “No. You know I’m just looking out for you. Both me and Nat want you to be happy.” 

“It’s our second date, dude. We’re not getting married or anything. I think I’m good.”

“Can you do me a favor and have Sam look into him? To protect yourself?” Clint begged. “That’s all I’m asking.”

Sam Wilson was American Architecture’s in house private investigator. If Steve needed information about someone, Sam was the one who could get it.

“Alright, if it will get you off my back,” Steve huffed. “You know, you’re the one who told me I needed to get laid.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d run out and grab the first guy you saw at the gym,” Clint chuckled.

Bucky shot a glance Steve’s way, a slightly desperate look on his face. He mouthed ‘help me’ which made Steve laugh. He excused himself and hurried across the room.

“Natasha, enough,” he said, sliding to a stop beside Bucky, his hand on the small of his back. “Stop giving the poor boy the third degree.”

“I’m just trying to get to know him,” Nat grinned. “You don’t bring boyfriends around much, so I have to act fast before he disappears.”

Steve shushed her with a cutting glare, earning himself a raised eyebrow and a huff as Nat turned and walked away.

“She’s feisty,” Bucky mumbled.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Steve muttered. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Bucky chuckled. “Your friends are nice. Maybe a little nosy, but nice.”

Steve checked his watch. They’d been at the party for a little over two hours, met almost all of Steve’s friends, a bunch of his employees, eaten birthday cake, and in Steve’s case, had a lot to drink. He was over the party and ready to go.

“What do you say we get out of here?” Steve said.

Bucky nodded. “That sounds great.”

They made their rounds, Bucky following Steve as he stopped and said goodbye to what felt like every person in the apartment. After they’d said goodbye to Clint and Nat, Steve led Bucky out of the apartment and back to the elevators. Once they were inside, Steve pulled a card from his wallet and slipped it into a slot beneath the buttons, then he punched in the number fifteen. He didn’t miss the look Bucky shot his way as the elevator rose.

“Penthouse?” he whispered.

“Mm-hm,” Steve nodded. 

When the elevator stopped, Steve gestured for Bucky to go first, following him into the apartment. Like everyone who visited him at home, Bucky was drawn to the large wall of windows overlooking Central Park. He stopped in front of the glass wall and stared at the park below.

“Your view is incredible,” he sighed. “Stunning.”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.” Not that Steve was looking at the view, he was too preoccupied with the man standing in his apartment. Even though he’d only know Bucky for a week, he wanted him, wanted to touch him, he wanted to kiss him, he wanted to make him come undone in the best possible way. Every scenario imaginable had gone through Steve’s head in the last week and he wanted nothing more than to play those scenarios out in real life.

Bucky glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Even in the faint light filtering through the windows, Steve could see that he was blushing. He moved behind him and put his hands on his waist, his lips brushing against Bucky’s ear.

“Nervous?” he murmured.

Bucky nodded, a shaky laugh leaving him. “A little.”

Steve turned him around, pushing him back until his ass hit the thick pane of glass. “What do you say we take things slow tonight? No pressure, no rushing anything. We’ll just see how things go.” He ducked his head, his lips closing around Bucky’s pulse point, nipping gently.

Bucky gasped, a strangled ‘okay’ pushing past his lips, his fingers digging into Steve’s shoulders.

The last thing Steve wanted to do was take things slow. He wanted to rip the clothes off of Bucky and take him apart, piece by piece, inch by inch, until he was screaming Steve’s name. He’d never been so strongly attracted to anyone, ever. It scared him a little how badly he wanted Bucky, but he pushed that thought away and concentrated on kissing Bucky, on making sure Bucky knew he could feel safe with him, on making sure he knew how much Steve wanted him.

It didn’t take long before Bucky was clinging to Steve, returning his kisses, holding him close. Steve moved them across the room, the two of them falling to the couch, limbs tangled, breath tearing in and out of their throats, hands everywhere. Steve had to hold himself back, keep himself from ravaging Bucky in an utterly obscene way, though Bucky wasn’t making it easy, what with the sounds he was making and the way he was arching his back and grasping at Steve.

He had no idea how long he and Bucky lay sprawled across his couch, how long they made out like horny teenagers, but he did know that he was aching with need and his cock was straining against the button of his slacks. He considered asking Bucky to stay the night with him, to drag him into the bedroom to finish what they’d started, when his phone vibrated in his front pocket.

“Shit,” he muttered, pushing himself upright. He yanked the phone from his pocket and stabbed at the button to answer it. “What?”

“Hey, Steve, it’s Clint. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he growled. “Why?”

“I sent you a couple texts, but you didn’t answer. Carol said she saw you heading upstairs with your date -”

“So, you thought it would be a good idea to call me?” Steve snapped.

“Steve -”

“Stop mothering me, Barton,” he said. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I’m just looking out for my friend,” Clint explained. “That’s all.”

“Yeah, well, give me a break. If I need help, I’ll let you know.” He disconnected the call, then he tossed his phone on the coffee table. “Sorry. My friends are overprotective.”

“So are mine,” Bucky chuckled, showing Steve his phone with multiple missed notifications. “I guess I should go.”

“I could call Peter for you?”

“God, no, it’s the middle of the night, don’t bother him. I’ll grab a cab.” He rose to his feet and stretched, his now untucked shirt rising to expose a tanned strip of skin right above the waistband of his dark jeans.

Steve followed him to the elevator, catching his hand just before he stepped inside. He pulled him close, Bucky’s body flush against his, and kissed him, his tongue dancing across Bucky’s lips. Bucky cupped his face, the tips of his fingers scratching at his beard.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Steve whispered. He tucked a fifty dollar bill in Bucky’s hand. “For the cab.”

Bucky slipped into the elevator, stepping all the way to the back and leaning against the wall. His lips were kiss swollen and beard burn covered his neck and jaw. The sight made Steve’s gut clench with need, so much so that he almost grabbed Bucky and pulled him back inside.

“Good night, Steve,” Bucky murmured.

“Good night, Bucky.”

The door slid closed, leaving Steve standing in his living room.


	3. A Date Arranged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky have a dinner date.

“Daddy!” Madison sprinted down the sidewalk and leapt into Bucky’s arms, knocking him back a couple of steps. He hugged her tight, grateful as always for any extra time he could get with her.

“Hey, Buck,” Liam said. “I really appreciate this. I know you had to leave work early, but I had no idea the sitter was going to cancel or I wouldn’t have called. You’re sure you’re okay with this?”

“Of course,” Bucky shrugged. “Anything for my gorgeous girl.” He kissed his daughter’s cheek before setting her on her feet and holding her hand.

“I’ll be by to pick her up after I get out of court,” Liam explained. “It shouldn’t be too late, maybe six or seven. I hope that’s okay?”

“It’s fine, Liam,” Bucky said. “She’s my daughter, taking her for a few hours in the middle of the week isn’t a burden.”

"Well, I do appreciate it," Liam repeated. "Hey, speaking of work, how are things going? Any news on the promotion front?"

“No," Bucky shook his head. "Not yet. But, I have been assigned to a pretty big project that our division chief, Phil Coulson, is heading up. Some new building is going up and it's going to be very high tech. I’m going to be helping to design the software that will be integrated throughout the whole thing. Phil hinted that if I do well, it could mean a promotion."

“That’s great, really, really great,” Liam smiled. “I’ll be sure to keep my fingers crossed that it all works out for you.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Madi’s head. “I’ll see you later, munchkin. Be good for Daddy Bucky, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” the little girl answered. She turned to Bucky. “Can we go see Aunt Wanda now?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky laughed. He scooped up his daughter, waving goodbye to his ex-husband over his shoulder as he wove through the crowd. A short subway ride later, they were entering the apartment he shared with Wanda, Madi Bec screaming her name as she hit the ground running.

“Madi!” Wanda called, emerging from her bedroom, a huge smile on her face. “Your daddy didn’t tell me you were coming over today!”

“I didn’t know either,” Madison replied. “Papa Liam had to work, so he said I could come visit with Daddy. Isn’t that the awesomest thing ever?”

“The best,” Wanda smiled. “Now I have an excuse to order pizza!”

Bucky rolled his eyes, but he didn’t protest. Pizza seemed like a good idea and it was Madi Bec’s favorite food. This month anyway. While Wanda and his daughter decided what kind of pizza they wanted, he ducked into his room and changed out of the suit he’d worn to work and into a pair of jeans and a soft cotton t-shirt. He’d just pulled his bedroom door open when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

 _Let’s grab dinner_.

Steve. Bucky scrubbed a hand over his face, pushing his hair off of his forehead. Shit. He still hadn’t told Steve about Madi. No time seemed like the right time. They’d been on two more dates since Nat’s birthday party, dinner one night and some black tie fundraiser at the children’s hospital another, and while they’d had a good time, discussing their personal lives and personal issues didn’t seem to be part of the plan. He blew out a shaky breath, then quickly typed out an answer.

_I’m available for a late dinner. How about 8?_

_Sounds great. I’ll pick you up then_.

Bucky shot back a thumbs up emoji, then he shoved his phone in his pocket and hurried down the hall. Wanda and Madi had already ordered the pizza and Madi had pulled her toys out from underneath the couch where they were kept, dragged them into the kitchen, and was playing quietly on the floor. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and leaned against the counter.

“You okay?” Wanda asked, coming to stand beside him.

“Yeah,” he said, shrugging. “I’m good.”

“You’re also a liar,” his best friend mumbled.

“Lying is bad,” Madi piped up. “You shouldn’t lie, Daddy.”

“Yes, lying is bad,” Bucky agreed. “And I’m not lying. Aunt Wanda is mistaken.” He glared at Wanda, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

“No, Aunt Wanda isn’t,” she mouthed, making sure Madi didn’t hear her.

“I’m fine,” Bucky insisted. “It’s just...Steve texted, he wants to get dinner. I told him later tonight. I want to wait until after Liam picks up Madi.”

“That’s the third time this week,” Wanda said, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Yeah?”

“Is that...I don’t know...normal?” she asked. “I thought this was a casual thing?”

“It’s a whatever-Steve-wants thing,” Bucky replied. “If he wants to get dinner, we get dinner. Besides, I don’t even know what normal is in this kind of relationship. We did agree to two or three dates a week, so I guess this is normal for us.” Bucky shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m kind of flying by the seat of my pants here. It’s not like I’ve done this before.”

The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. Madi took off like a shot, sprinting through the apartment to the front door, Bucky close behind her. He caught her just before she yanked open the door, tucking her behind him as he peered through the peephole. Satisfied that it was only the pizza delivery, he opened it and paid the delivery guy. He handed Madi the pizza, cringing a little as she held it askew and ran back to the kitchen. That was going to make that pizza interesting.

His phone vibrated again, this time from Liam.

_Court running behind. Might be late. Sorry!_

Bucky pushed a hand through his hair. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. If Liam was late, Steve might arrive before they left. He could beg Wanda to watch Madi, but he hated to do that. He’d just have to pray that Liam wasn’t too late.

* * *

Steve’s desk phone buzzed, the sound settling in his ears like an annoying bee. He tossed his pen on the desk and snatched the phone.

“Rogers,” he growled.

"Hey, Steve, it's Sam," his in house private investigator said.

"Sam," Steve replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Clint mentioned you have someone you need me to look into?"

Steve rolled his eyes. Of course Clint had taken it upon himself to go to Sam. Overprotective, cock blocking asshole anyway. He was lucky that he was Steve's best friend or he'd be getting his ass kicked. He cleared his throat, attempting to buy some time before answering. The more he’d thought about it, the less he wanted Sam to look into Bucky. If he did, it would surely come out how the two of them met, not at the gym but rather through the sugar daddy website. That was the last thing he needed.

“It’s fine, Sam, I changed my mind,” he explained.

“Clint was pretty insistent -”

“Yeah, well, Clint’s mistaken,” Steve snapped. “I don’t need anyone looked into, not right now. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know.” He stabbed the button on the phone, disconnecting the call.

Within minutes, his cell phone rang, a call from Clint coming through. He ignored it, just like he had been all week. All Clint wanted to do was talk about Bucky, ask questions about Bucky, quiz him about Bucky, incessantly until Steve wanted to scream. If he’d known Clint was going to give him the third degree about his new relationship, he never would have taken Bucky to the party. He just wished he could understand why Clint was so concerned about him and Bucky; he’d never acted like this before, never cared much about the guys Steve dated, not until Bucky came along.

Instead of answering the call from Clint, he hit dismiss, then he pulled up Bucky’s contact information. He needed a distraction from this bullshit and Bucky was the perfect distraction. It surprised him how he felt the need to see Bucky, to spend time with him, to be in his presence. It was like he’d known him forever rather than just over a week. Being around Bucky made everything better. He quickly typed out a text.

 _Let’s grab dinner_.

It was a few seconds before Bucky answered, the three bubbles blinking incessantly, causing Steve to wonder if the answer would be no. It wasn’t as if Bucky was obligated to see him; they’d gone out three times in the last four days, but this weekend was Bucky’s weekend “off” and Steve wanted to see him one last time before it hit. He was hoping to extend tonight’s dinner date into breakfast tomorrow.

_I’m available for a late dinner. How about 8?_

_Sounds great. I’ll pick you up then_.

At least having dinner with Bucky later gave him something to look forward to; he’d keep himself occupied until then. He told Jenny to hold all of his calls and to keep everyone out, he didn’t want to be disturbed. Nothing was more cathartic for him than throwing himself into his work and he was determined to finish the blueprints for Stark’s building this week.

Steve became so preoccupied with finishing the blueprints that he lost track of time, not looking at the clock again until almost seven-thirty. If he didn’t hurry, he would be late to pick up Bucky. He called Peter and told him to meet him in front of the building, grabbed his briefcase, and made his way to the elevators.

“Where to Mr. Rogers?” Peter asked as he climbed into the back of the SUV.

“We’re picking up Bucky,” Steve explained. “Then back to my place, please.”

“Yes, sir,” Peter nodded. He started the engine and pulled away from the curb, easing into traffic.

Steve checked emails on his phone as they drove, something he’d neglected - avoided really - all day. He’d nearly cleaned out his email box when they turned the corner onto Bucky’s street. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and stared out the window just as Peter stopped at the stoplight a half a block from Bucky’s building.

It was at that moment that he saw Bucky coming down the stairs, carrying a little girl, her brunette hair in pigtails, her arms slung around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. He set her on the sidewalk in front of a well dressed young man, close to Bucky’s age. He crouched in front of the little girl and pressed a kiss to her cheek, murmured a few words to her, then he rose to his feet and shook the hand of the other man, who pulled Bucky into a quick hug, then he ushered the little girl into a waiting cab. Bucky turned and sprinted back up the stairs and inside, the door swinging shut behind him. The entire exchange took less than a minute, but it left Steve with a million questions.

The light changed and then Peter was pulling up to the curb, parking in the spot just vacated by the cab that had whisked away the man and the little girl. Steve didn’t move, he just stared out the window, those questions sprinting through his head.

“Mr. Rogers?” Peter murmured, catching his boss’s eye in the rear view mirror.

“Sorry,” Steve replied. He pushed open the car door and stepped out. “Give me five minutes, Peter.”

At the top of the stairs, he studied the list of tenants, finally pressing the button for the one marked Barnes/Maximoff. He’d never been in Bucky’s building, either waiting for Bucky in the SUV, or sending Peter to pick him up.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice came from the speaker, tinny and scratchy sounding.

He cleared his throat. “Hi, this is Steve Rogers. I’m here to pick up Bucky.”

Despite the lousy speaker, he heard the slight gasp that came from the young woman, a mumbled ‘okay’ then there was a loud buzz and the door popped open.

Steve checked the apartment number before slipping inside. He sprinted up the stairs to the third floor, coming to a stop in front of Bucky’s door. He took a deep breath and knocked.

The door wrenched open, a petite redhead standing on the other side. She looked up at him, a wary smile on her face. She stuck out her hand.

“Hi, I’m Wanda.”

“Hi, Wanda, I’m Steve,” he smiled his most charming smile and shook her hand. “You are…?”

“Bucky’s roommate,” she offered. “Come on in.”

Steve was barely over the threshold before Bucky was barreling down the hall, his hair combed back off his forehead, his blue jacket and blue shirt making his eyes seem even bluer than normal. He was glaring at Wanda as if he was seriously considering killing her.

“Hey, Steve, I see you’ve met Wanda,” he said. “I didn’t know you were coming up. Wanda didn’t say she’d buzzed you in.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Steve shrugged. “I just got here and I thought I’d come up and see your apartment. You hadn’t mentioned you had such a lovely young lady for a roommate.”

“Yeah, she’s a peach,” Bucky grumbled. “Uh, I’m ready when you are.”

“It was nice to meet you, Steve,” Wanda smiled. “Have fun, boys. Buck, be safe.”

Bucky shot another death-inducing glare at Wanda, then he practically pushed Steve out the door. He followed Bucky out of the building, hanging back a little, wondering if he asked any of the million questions he wanted to ask if he’d get an answer. He wasn’t sure he had any right to ask; it wasn’t as if they had agreed on complete transparency when it came to _every_ aspect of their lives. And it wasn’t like Steve had told Bucky everything about himself. When Bucky was ready to tell him about the little girl he’d been holding, he would tell him. Until then, Steve would just have to be patient.

Peter hopped out of the SUV as soon as he saw them and pulled open the back door. Bucky climbed in, Steve right behind him.

“Sorry about that,” Bucky muttered, avoiding eye contact with Steve by fidgeting with his seatbelt.

“About what? Wanda?” Steve chuckled under his breath. “She was fine.”

“She’s nosy and overprotective,” Bucky said.

“So are my friends,” he shrugged. “Wait, does Wanda know about our...arrangement?”

“Yes, but it’s only because she’s nosy,” Bucky sighed. “She knew before you and I even met. So, when we started to date -”

“She came to the logical conclusion,” Steve finished. “Of course. It’s okay, Bucky, as long as she doesn’t out us to the Times or something, we’re good.”

“So, where are we going to dinner?” Bucky asked.

“My place,” Steve replied, leaning back in his seat, his foot propped on his knee. “I don’t feel like dealing with going out tonight. I ordered dinner for us, should arrive shortly after we do.”

Bucky ran his fingers through his hair, a slight smirk on his face. “Eating in, huh? Any particular reason why?”

Steve slid across the seat, one arm coming up to rest behind Bucky’s shoulders, his hand on Bucky’s leg,  his mouth pressed to his ear. “Because the things I’ve been thinking about doing to you can’t be done in a public place.”

Bucky moaned, low in the back of his throat, the sound only carrying to Steve’s ears and no further. He squeezed Bucky’s leg, causing him to jump slightly. Bucky turned his head, allowing Steve to catch his lips in a searing kiss that had Steve’s entire body burning with need. He dropped his arm, wrapping it around Bucky’s shoulder, pulling him close, but the younger man put his hands on Steve’s chest and pushed him away.

“Later,” he breathed.

Steve blew out an irritated breath, but he released Bucky and sat back. “Later,” he nodded, even though that was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

Bucky couldn’t put a finger on why the thought of sleeping with Steve made him so nervous or why he kept pushing back whenever the issue came up. Maybe it was Wanda’s constant warnings, or maybe it was the fear that he wouldn’t live up to Steve’s expectations, or maybe it was that he was afraid of getting too attached and developing feelings for the handsome architect. That wasn’t part of the arrangement.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want Steve, because, Jesus, he did. The man ignited a fire in him like no one ever had before, and it took all of his self-control not tear off his clothes. But that fear sat in the back of his brain almost constantly, stopping him from taking that step that he knew not only Steve craved, but he did as well.

“You want a drink?” Steve asked, interrupting his musings.

“Sure.” Bucky stood in front of the wall of glass, staring out at the night sky. He watched Steve in the window’s reflection as he busied himself in the kitchen, cleaning up from the meal they’d just eaten. A huge, gourmet meal delivered by one of the fancier restaurants in town, a place Bucky had never eaten, seeing as how he couldn’t afford it. Once he’d put the last dish in the sink, he grabbed two beers from the fridge and joined Bucky by the window.

“Any big plans for the weekend?” he murmured.

Bucky shrugged one shoulder. He’d promised Madi Bec he’d take her to the Brooklyn Zoo, but he certainly wasn’t going to share that information with Steve. Especially when he still hadn’t told him that he had a daughter.

“Not sure yet,” he replied quietly. He hated lying. “You?”

“Work,” Steve said. “I’ve got a deadline to meet. We’ve got about two weeks to finish the plans and prepare a presentation.” He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. “Speaking of which, do you think you could head up to the Hamptons with me in a couple of weeks? It’s a whole weekend long thing and everyone is bringing their significant others…”

“And you want me to come with you?” Bucky smiled.

Steve nodded, smirking. He stepped closer to Bucky, put his hands on his waist, his fingers twisting in Bucky’s belt loops, and tugged him close. “Will you go? I’d love to bring you to the Hamptons, show you off, spoil you a little.” He leaned over Bucky, his nose drifting along the edge of Bucky’s jaw, breath warm on his skin. “Or a lot.”

Bucky laughed, low in the back of his throat, desire twisting in his gut. He slipped his arms around Steve’s waist and tipped his head back. Steve’s mouth slanted over his, his tongue tracing Bucky’s lips, a needy groan leaving him when Bucky opened his mouth and their tongues touched, the kiss deepening. Steve’s fingers crawled beneath Bucky’s t-shirt, dancing over the warm skin, drawing goosebumps to the surface of his flesh.

“Stay the night,” Steve murmured against his lips.

Bucky didn’t even have to think twice, didn’t want to think twice. He caught Steve’s lips in his, kissing him with a desperate need that he had been holding in check. He wanted Steve, he wanted Steve to take him apart, piece by piece until he was begging to come. At that moment, he’d never wanted anything more.

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’ll stay.”


	4. An Overnight Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky spends the night at Steve's.

Bucky stretched, grabbed the pillow under his head, and pulled it over his face, hiding from the too bright light hitting his half open eyes. He didn’t normally have to hide from the sun while lying in bed, so why was it shining on his face this morning?

Because he wasn’t in his bed.

He sat up so abruptly, the pillow hit the floor and the room rotated on its axis, spinning wildly. He flopped backwards onto the bed with a groan, his hand over his eyes.

“Steve?” Bucky whispered.

No answer. He sat up, slower this time, and glanced around the room. He didn’t see Steve. The clock beside the bed said seven a.m., giving him about two hours to get home, clean up, and get to work. He didn’t want to leave, but there were bills to pay and responsibilities to attend to, so he threw off the blankets and climbed from the bed. A quick perusal of the room did nothing to help him locate his boxers. He couldn’t even remember when they’d come off.

_They stopped at the end of the bed, breaking off the kiss just long enough for Steve to yank his shirt and then Bucky’s off, dropping them to the floor, followed by his pants, then Bucky’s. Steve pushed Bucky down on the bed, crawling over him, a growl rumbling from his chest as his lips met Bucky’s._

In the bathroom, he found a brand new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste sitting next to the sink on top of a set of clean towels. Of course, Steve had thought of everything. He turned on the water in the shower and brushed his teeth while he waited for it to warm up. He pressed a finger to one of the dark purple bruises covering his chest and stomach, a smile spreading across his face.

_Steve ran a hand through Bucky’s hair, twisting it around his fingers, tugging his head back, kissing a trail down his neck, lips closing around his nipple, tongue flicking at the hard bud. Bucky groaned, back arching, eyes rolling back in his head, cock twitching with interest. His head spun, the feel of Steve’s mouth on his skin making him dizzy with desire. Steve’s hands closed around Bucky’s wrists, holding him in place as he slid further down his body, marking Bucky as he explored every inch of him._

The sting of the hot water against his back relaxed his stiff muscles. He ached, though not in a bad way, but in a way he could appreciate. He stood under the spray, eyes closed, head back, the water splashing on his face. He grabbed the soap off the shelf and scrubbed himself clean, the distinctive scent of Steve filling his nostrils, bringing another smile to his face.

_Steve had him on his side, limbs tangled together, Bucky’s wrists caught in one hand, held above his head, his other hand between their bodies, wrapped around their cocks, stroking them slowly, all while kissing him as if he owned Bucky, body and soul. He was coming undone, his body Steve’s to command, every touch sending a shiver of desire down his spine, spinning in a vortex of sexual gratification like none other he’d ever experienced._

_“Steve, I’m gonna come,” he moaned._

_“No you’re not,” Steve whispered, biting Bucky’s lower lip and tugging not-so-gently. “Not yet. Not until I say.”_

Last night had been...well, it had been everything he’d hoped for and more. Falling into bed with Steve had been easy and it had been good. Oh my God, so good. Steve made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time, made him feel things he’d never felt before, Steve made him feel wanted and appreciated. It was obvious from the get go that Steve liked to be in control, that he liked to dictate how things would go, and Bucky had been more than happy to let him take charge. In fact, he liked letting the older, obviously more experienced man tell him what to do. He liked it a lot. And so did Steve.

Bucky shut the water off, stepped out of the shower, and grabbed one of the huge, fluffy bath towels Steve had left out for him. He dried off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and pushed a hand through his damp hair. He stepped through the bathroom door, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Steve and the previous night.

_Bucky straddled him, his palms flat on Steve’s chest, nails dragging down his pecs as Steve thrust up into him, every drag of Steve’s cock hitting him in just the right spot until constellations were born behind his eyes and heat exploded through every nerve ending. Steve’s grip on his hips was bruisingly tight, his blunt fingers digging into the flesh, groaning and panting as he demanded Bucky ride him harder._

“Hey, Buck,” the object of his musings said.

“H-hi,” he stammered, his heart jumping into his throat. “Um...uh, thanks for the toothbrush and stuff.”

“You’re welcome,” Steve nodded. “I brought you some clothes.” He showed Bucky the bag hanging from his finger.

“You brought me clothes?” Bucky said. “H-how did you even -”

“I knew your size from your tux fittings,” he shrugged. “I sent Jenny to pick everything up.”

“Jenny?” Bucky murmured.

“My secretary and personal assistant,” Steve explained. He tossed the bag on the bed before crossing the room to stand in front of Bucky, his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, an almost shy smile on his face. “Did you, um, sleep well?”

Bucky nodded, his ability to form words gone as those cerulean eyes dragged over his half naked form. Steve caught his lower lip between his teeth, gnawing at it as his eyes traveled down Bucky’s chest and settled on his obviously interested cock, twitching beneath the towel. That was all it took, one look from the older man and he was gone.

Steve took a half step closer, ducked his head, and pressed a kiss to Bucky’s lips. “If I didn’t have to go to work,” he whispered, his arm slipping around Bucky’s waist, pulling him flush against his body, his hand sliding down to cup Bucky’s ass. “I would take you apart right here and right now.”

Steve released him and then, he was gone, disappearing out the bedroom door.

Bucky exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Jesus, Steve was going to be the death of him. He dropped the towel on the bed and hurried to get dressed.

* * *

Steve dragged himself upright at five a.m., groaning a little as he struggled to open his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder at the man sleeping in his bed, bare chested, pink lips slightly parted, hair falling over his forehead, the sheet covering him from waist to thigh, leaving nothing to the imagination. Despite the presence of a warm and tempting body in the bed beside him, Steve got up, spent a few minutes in the bathroom, then he slipped quietly out of the room, and headed for his office, with just a brief stop in the kitchen to start the coffee pot. By fifteen after, he was on the treadmill, running his customary five miles, his brain filled with thoughts of Bucky.

_Bucky’s fingers dug into the muscles of his ass, the bite of his nails a delicious sting that Steve wasn’t expecting. He cupped the back of Bucky’s head, his hips thrusting, hissing as Bucky’s teeth scraped his hard shaft, sending a jolt of electric heat pulsing through him, drawing a groan from deep in his chest. His grip tightened in the younger man’s hair, pulling Bucky off of his cock with a wet pop. Steve dragged him to his feet and pushed him back on the bed, crawling up his body, biting and sucking marks all over his torso as he moved._

He couldn’t stop thinking about him, about the things he’d done. Steve had always been an insatiable lover and he’d rarely found someone who could keep up with him. Bucky might actually be that person. The thought both excited and scared him. This _thing_  with Bucky was supposed to be casual, mutually agreeable, the type of relationship he could walk away from, with his heart intact. Thinking of anything more beyond this first six months was nothing more than a vulnerability.

Steve closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He wouldn’t make it out the door if he didn’t stop thinking about the man sleeping in his bed. He forced himself to concentrate on the coming day - his appointments, what needed to be done with the blueprints, his upcoming meeting with Clint to go over their newest projects, shit, he was even thinking about what he would have for lunch, anything but Bucky lying naked and turned on beneath him.

_At first, Bucky seemed hesitant, unsure of himself, unlike Steve, who threw himself into sex with an abandon that was almost frightening. He had Bucky’s clothes off and the younger man on the bed before he could so much as blink. He’d been waiting all night for this and he couldn’t wait to get his mouth on Bucky, to hear Bucky moan in all the ways he’d imagined, to see and feel the pleasure Bucky experienced._

_He crawled over him, growling as he realized what a wreck Bucky had become, his eyes blown black with lust, body trembling, hair already a gorgeous, sexy mess. He rolled to his side, pulling Bucky with him, his arms above his head, wrists held tight in Steve’s hand, Steve’s mouth slanted over Bucky’s, both of them moaning as their kisses grew deeper and more desperate. Steve was going to spontaneously combust if he wasn’t careful._

The buzz of his cell phone startled him, drawing him out of the replay of his night with Bucky. He snatched it up and mumbled “hello” as he continued running.

“Mr. Rogers?”

“Jenny,” he murmured. “Thanks for getting back to me. I was wondering if you could run an errand for me?”

“Of course,” she replied.

Steve quickly explained what he needed, grateful as always that Jenny was willing to work around the clock. She promised to have it to him by seven.

He hit a button on the treadmill and eased to a stop. He wiped the sweat from his brow before heading for the bathroom down the hall. He didn’t want to wake Bucky if he didn’t have to; he liked the idea of Bucky sleeping in his bed.

He was out of the shower, dressed, and pouring himself a cup of coffee when the elevator doors opened and Jenny stepped out. She smiled at Steve as she crossed the room and set a bag on the counter. Without a word, he plucked her to-go cup from her hand and filled it with coffee.

“Thanks,” he said, sliding the cup across the counter.

“You’re welcome,” she smiled. She sipped the coffee, watching him over the top of the to-go cup.

“What?” he sighed.

“New boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Steve nodded.

“How’d you two meet?” she asked.

“The gym,” he replied. “Why?”

“I’m just checking,” Jenny shrugged.

“You’re being nosy, just like everyone else in my life,” Steve shook his head.

“We worry about you,” she said.

“I’m fine,” he muttered. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

“Of course, I forgot he’s still here,” she said, pointing at the bag. “I’ll get out of your way. Your first appointment is at nine, sharp.”

“Yes ma’am,” he mumbled.

The elevator door had just closed behind Jenny when Steve heard the shower in the master bath come on. The image of Bucky standing naked under the spray of water invaded his brain, reminding him once again of the things they had done the previous night.

_Bucky was riding him, his hands splayed over Steve’s chest, filthy moans falling from his lips as Steve thrust up into him. He squeezed Bucky’s hips, his fingers digging into the flesh, pulling Bucky down, demanding that he ride him harder and faster._

_“Steve,” Bucky groaned, his knees pressed deep into the mattress on either side of Steve’s hips, his hair flopping over his eyes, a look of pure ecstasy on his face._

_He wrapped a hand around Bucky’s weeping cock, stroking him roughly, murmuring praises to the younger man even as he chased his own orgasm. It was building, the pleasure consuming him, his gut twisted with heady desire until he snapped, his back arching as he slammed into Bucky repeatedly, Bucky’s come spilling over his hand and across his chest as he let go. A minute later, his own climax exploded through him, white starbursts took over his vision and a thin sheen of sweat broke out across his skin as pure pleasure ignited every nerve ending._

_Bucky fell to the bed beside him, chest heaving, his hand resting on Steve’s arm. He resisted the urge to squeeze Bucky’s hand; it seemed too intimate, too couple-y, instead he rolled to his side, climbed out of the bed, and headed for the bathroom._

Steve waited until he heard the shower turn off before grabbing the bag on the counter and going into his room. Bucky was just coming out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist, and Steve couldn’t help but stare. He was a sight to behold, droplets of water on his chest, his damp hair falling over his forehead, his blue eyes wide with surprise.

Steve swallowed thickly and forced himself to smile. “Hey, Buck,” he said, praying he didn’t sound as dumb ass as he felt.

“H-hi,” Bucky stammered. “Um...uh, thanks for the toothbrush and stuff.”

He’d forgotten that he’d laid out a toothbrush and a towel for Bucky, a habit he’d developed for his one night stands over the years. “You’re welcome,” he nodded. He showed Bucky the bag in his hand. “I brought you some clothes.”

Bucky’s eyes widened even more and a blush colored his cheeks. “You brought me clothes? H-how did you even -”

“I knew your size from your tux fittings,” Steve shrugged. “I sent Jenny to pick everything up.”

“Jenny?” Bucky asked, his head tipped to one side, eyebrow raised.

Was that a hint of jealousy he heard in Bucky’s voice? The thought made Steve’s gut clench with need. A jealous Bucky would be a sight to behold.

“My secretary and personal assistant,” he explained to the younger man. He threw the bag on the bed, then crossed the room in several long strides. “Did you, um, sleep well?” He knew that Bucky had, the question was merely an excuse to prolong their conversation. Once again, he couldn’t stop himself from staring at Bucky, his eyes drifting down the length of his body, noticing almost immediately that Bucky’s cock appeared to be twitching with interest.

Fuck, this kid would be the death of him. He wanted Bucky back in his bed, screaming his name, fucking him until he couldn’t walk. His eyes darted over Bucky’s shoulder at the clock beside the bed. Shit, he had no time.

He took a small step closer and pressed a kiss to Bucky’s lips. “If I didn’t have to go to work,” he whispered, slipping his arm around Bucky’s waist and pulling him flush against his body, one hand cupping Bucky’s ass.  “I would take you apart right here and right now.”

He released Bucky, spun on his heel and hurried out the door, before he did just that.

Damn responsibilities anyway.


	5. Not Part of the Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Bucky’s weekend off, but Steve misses him.

 

"I'm really sorry about this, Buck," Liam said for what had to be the tenth time during their two rather brief phone conversations.

"No need to apologize, Liam," Bucky said, also for the tenth time. "If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, Madi is my daughter and I am happy to keep her whenever. We do share custody."

"I know, but it's such short notice -"

"Seriously, Liam, if you apologize one more time, I may scream," Bucky muttered. "Take care of whatever you need to take care of and quit worrying. Madi can stay tonight and Wanda offered to take her to school tomorrow morning. I got it under control."

After several more minutes of reassuring Liam that everything was fine and that he could handle things with Madi, Bucky disconnected the call, tossed his phone on his bedside table, and went looking for his daughter and his roommate. He found them in the living room, building an intricate pillow and blanket fort that spanned the width of room.

"Well, this looks fun," he chuckled.

Madi popped out from the far side of the fort, her giggles filling the air. "Hi Daddy! You should come in. We're having so much fun!"

"I'm sure you are," Bucky grinned. "But it's time for a bath. You have school in the morning."

"But, Daddy -"

"No buts, Mads," Wanda said. "Come on. I'll help you with your bath."

"And then I'll read you a bedtime story, okay?" Bucky added.

"Fine," his daughter pouted. "Can we leave the fort up though? I wanna sleep in it."

"Sure," he nodded. 

Since he and Wanda couldn't afford a bigger apartment, when he had Madi, she slept on the couch, the living room her makeshift bedroom. It drove him crazy that he couldn't give her a space to call her own, but his finances just wouldn't allow it. Might as well let her have fun with the fort since he couldn't give her her own bedroom.

It took more than an hour, two bedtime stories, one glass of water, and three pillow changes before Madi finally dozed off, her blanket pulled up to her chin, and her favorite stuffed animal tucked under her head. Bucky crawled out of the fort and made his way to the kitchen where he grabbed a couple of ice cream sandwiches from the freezer and a couple of bottles of water - no alcohol when he had Madi - and headed for Wanda's room.

Wanda deftly caught the ice cream sandwich he tossed her way, laughing at the startled expression on his face.

"Thanks."

"Thank you for helping with Madi Bec," he said. "I appreciate it."

"I love that kid," she shrugged. "I'm happy to help."

"Yeah, but you don't have to," he murmured. "I'm not sure I deserve a friend like you."

"Knock it off, Buck," she muttered, throwing the wadded up ice cream wrapper at him. "You do deserve a friend like me. Quit saying stuff like that."

"Okay, okay," he muttered. "Look, I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Goodnight, loser," Wanda grinned.

"Later, bitch," he snarled playfully, ducking as her pillow flew at his head.

He was almost back to his room, moving quietly down the hall, when a loud bang from the front door echoed through the apartment. He hurried to the door, yanking it open without looking through the peephole.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled, before he realized who was at the door.

"Hey, Buck," Steve mumbled. "How's it going?"

* * *

The last couple of days had been hell. One of the firm’s upcoming projects had been pushed up, even though they hadn’t even reached the design stage on it. It forced Steve to have an emergency meeting with three of his architects to get them started on the plans so they would be ready to present it to the client by Tuesday. And because he wasn’t  _ that _  kind of boss, he worked over the weekend to make sure it would be ready, side by side with the lead architect on the project.

It turned out to be a good thing, because he couldn’t get Bucky off of his mind, not after the night they’d spent together. Work kept his mind off the younger man, though Bucky would occasionally slip into his thoughts, usually naked or wearing nothing but a towel. Sunday was the most difficult; he’d given everyone the day off, but gone in himself, locked in his office working the day away. He worked best alone anyway; it reminded him of when he’d first started the company, just him and Clint, struggling to build something out of nothing. Steve had made more sacrifices than he could count, giving up a social life and any kind of relationship to see his company succeed. Now that it had, he found himself wanting more, wanting something with someone.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. He was probably just tired, and he was definitely grumpy. He’d spent the entire weekend working, he was tense and stressed, and what he really wanted was to fuck Bucky’s brains out to relieve some of that tension. 

That thought had him drinking by seven, the bottle of scotch sitting on the desk beside him. By a quarter to eight, he was definitely half-drunk, maybe more, though that didn’t stop him, the bottle went from a little over half full to less the a quarter full. 

It was after eight when he snatched his phone off the desk and typed out a quick message to Bucky. He knew it was Bucky’s weekend “off” but maybe he’d be willing to see Steve, if only for a little while. It was a booty call plain and simple, but wasn’t that what this whole thing with Bucky was really about? The younger man was his permanent booty call, for the next six months, anyway.

By eight-thirty, he still hadn’t heard from Bucky. Maybe if he hadn’t been a little bit drunk and a lot lonely, he wouldn’t have called Peter to pick him up and then tell him to take him straight to Bucky’s apartment, and maybe he wouldn’t have sent Peter home and gone to the door, waiting to slip inside when someone left the building. He knocked on Bucky’s apartment door at nine twenty, his stomach twisted in knots.

The door flew open and he came face to face with an angry, irritated Bucky.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"Hey, Buck," Steve mumbled. "How's it going?" He stepped through the door, closing it behind him. Despite the alcohol coursing through his veins, he was on Bucky in a second, pushing him against the wall with a dull thud, his mouth slanted over the brunette’s, his cock already half hard.

Bucky’s hands were on his chest, pushing him away, turning his head away from Steve’s greedy kisses.

“You can’t be here,” he mumbled. “Not now.”

Steve ducked his head, his lips dragging along the edge of Bucky’s jaw, his fingers in the waistband of his jeans, flicking open the button, his other hand at the base of Bucky’s throat, fingers resting just below his pulse point.

“I want to be here,” Steve murmured, his fingers squeezing lightly.

“But you shouldn’t be,” Bucky moaned. Despite his words, his hands were on Steve’s waist, tugging him closer, his head falling back against the wall.

“Let me stay here with you,” he whispered. “I promise to make it worth your while.”

“Daddy?” The little brunette girl Steve had seen the other night was standing in the hall in a pair of purple pajamas, rubbing her eyes, her chocolate brown curls tousled around her face and shoulders, staring up at him and Bucky with the bluest eyes Steve had ever seen. 

“Did she...did she just call you ‘daddy’? Steve muttered, his hands falling to his sides.

Bucky ignored his question, pushed away from Steve, and knelt in front of the girl. “Hey, Madi Bec, did we wake you up?” he asked, scooping her into his arms and hugging her.

The girl, Madi Bec, nodded, wrapped her arms around Bucky’s neck, and rested her head on his shoulder. “Can I have some water?”

“You’ve had so much water tonight, you’re gonna float away,” Bucky chuckled. “Come on, let’s take you potty, get you a small drink of water, and put you back to bed.” He looked at Steve over his shoulder. “You can wait in my room.” He pointed to the door to Steve’s right. “Give me just a minute to get her back to sleep.”

Steve watched as Bucky hurried down the hall and into a room at the end of it. He blew out a shaky breath and stepped into the room Bucky had indicated. It was sparsely furnished, just a full size bed, small table, and dresser. The room was neat, the bed made, clothes hung up, a hamper with dirty clothes in the corner. On the dresser were several photos in frames; all of them included the little girl, a few of them included Bucky and one of them was of Bucky, the little girl, and the man Steve had seen the other night. In a small glass dish on the dresser was Bucky’s watch, some cufflinks, and a plain gold band.

He stumbled backwards and dropped onto the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. What had he gotten himself into? Was Bucky married? Shit, he had so many questions. He just hoped he could get some answers.


	6. Feelings Aren’t Part of the Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is feeling remorseful. Bucky has a conversation with Liam.

 

“Daddy, who’s that man?” Madi Bec murmured.

Bucky set Madi on the floor in front of the bathroom door and pushed it open. “Go potty. I’ll wait right here.”

Madi stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, her bottom lip pushed out in an adorable pout. Bucky leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh. His stomach was twisting and turning and he thought he might puke. He couldn’t believe Steve had shown up like that, out of the blue with no notice, and drunk. This was definitely not the way he’d intended to tell Steve about his daughter.

The bathroom door opened. “All done,” Madi said. She looked questioningly at Bucky, waiting for the answer to her question.

“That man is my friend, Steve,” Bucky answered, taking Madi’s hand and leading her back to the living room.

“Is he a stay-the-night friend like Papa Liam’s friend, George?” Madi asked.

Bucky stopped dead in his tracks. “W-who?” he stammered, staring in disbelief at Madison.

“Papa’s friend, George,” Madi stated matter-of-factly. “Papa said he’s a special friend who stays the night sometimes. He kissed you like George kisses Papa -” She shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished. 

Bucky crouched down beside his daughter, struggling to keep his anger toward Liam under control. “Does he stay the night a lot?” he asked through gritted teeth.

She nodded. “A lot. All the time.”

He gestured for Madi to climb into the fort. He got her settled with her stuffed animal and blanket, then he kissed her on the forehead. Her eyes were drooping closed before he'd even tucked the blanket around her.

God, his head was spinning. He needed to talk to Steve and sort things out, but he also needed to deal with what his daughter had told him about Liam's "friend". He and his ex were definitely going to have a discussion about his new friend and the fact that he was having sleepovers while his daughter was there. They'd both agreed that they would keep their personal lives away from Madi, in fact, there had been a huge fight over one of Bucky's previous boyfriend's who had wanted to meet her. He never had, but Liam had lost his shit when Bucky had mentioned it. Apparently the rules didn't apply to Liam, just Bucky.

But he didn't have time to worry about that right now. He needed to deal with the man sitting in his bedroom. He stopped outside of the half open door and blew out a shaky breath. He still wasn't sure if he should be angry with Steve or not. On the one hand, Steve had shown up at his home, drunk and uninvited, but on the other, he was paying Bucky to be at his beck and call and normally, he wouldn't have his daughter on a Sunday night. If Madi hadn't been here, Bucky wouldn't have hesitated to let Steve do whatever he wanted to do to him.

He stepped into the room and pushed the door closed behind him. Steve rose to his feet and the two of them stood facing each other, the silence like a fog filling room.

“Are you married?”

“You had no right to show up uninvited.”

They spoke at the same time, overpowering each other with their words. Bucky forced himself to breath and not let his anger with the situation, with Liam, overpower him. Steve gestured for him to continue.

“I’m divorced,” he explained. “I’ve been divorced for three years. That little girl out there -” he pointed toward the living room, “she’s my daughter, Madison Rebecca. Liam, my ex-husband, and I adopted her when she was a baby, four days old. I only see her every other weekend, mostly because of my financial situation. I didn’t tell you about her because that’s not part of the arrangement.” Bucky shrugged and pushed a hand through his hair. “I never expected you to show up out of the blue like that.”

At least Steve had the decency to look a little bit chagrined, if not down right embarrassed. He scrubbed a hand over his face, his mouth opening and closing several times before he spoke.

“I’m sorry, Buck. I shouldn’t have come over without calling you, without an invitation. There is no excuse for what I did.” He stared at his feet. “I had a shitty weekend, I’ve had too much to drink, and I wanted to see you. Crap, if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t just want to see you, I wanted to fuck you.” He shook his head. “Look, I’ll go. I really am sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Bucky grabbed Steve’s arm as he made to move past him, headed for the door. “Steve, wait.” He might regret this later, but at the moment, it felt like the right thing to do. “Don’t go, not yet.”

He stopped, though he still wouldn’t look at Bucky. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” Bucky nodded. “Stay for a while. We can talk. Just talk.”

“I think I can do that,” Steve said.

“How about a cup of coffee?” Bucky asked.

“I could definitely use a cup of coffee,” Steve smiled. “Maybe more than one. Black, no cream, no sugar.”

“Give me ten minutes,” Bucky murmured. Making coffee gave him an excuse to catch his breath, to gather his thoughts. He knew he didn’t want Steve to leave, didn’t want them to part on less than satisfactory terms, but he also knew they needed to draw some boundary lines. This would give him a chance to figure out what he wanted to say, what he needed to say, if this arrangement was going to continue. 

Because God knew, he didn’t want it to end.

* * *

All the Tylenol in the world wouldn’t help Steve’s pounding head. The ache had settled deep in the center of his forehead and Jesus, his stomach was  _ rolling _ , the nausea nearly overtaking him. He wanted to close the blinds covering the office windows, stretch out on the couch in the corner, and sleep. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of sleeping away the hangover, not when he was meeting with Tony Stark in less than two hours. The multi-billionaire was expecting an update on his massive tower and how the presentation for the investors was coming along.

He’d stayed at Bucky’s until well after midnight, drinking coffee and talking. They’d talked about Bucky’s marriage and divorce, as well as his daughter. They’d parted on good terms, Bucky had even let Steve kiss him at the door, but that didn’t mean Steve knew for sure exactly where they stood. He had every intention of atoning for his mistake, he just wasn’t sure how.

He winced when the knock on his office door sent a spike of pain through the middle of his head. “What?” he growled.

Jenny stepped through the door, a tray balanced in one hand. She set it on the desk in front of him. “I brought you some water and a grilled cheese.”

“I’m not -”

“I know, but you need to eat,” she interrupted. “If you don’t, you won’t make it to that meeting with Mr. Stark. Anything else I can do for you, Mr. Rogers?”

Steve scribbled a number on a post-it note and held it out to her. “Could you call this number, set up an early dinner? His name is Buc - James.”

“Early dinner? I can do that. Any preference as to where?”

“That intimate restaurant downtown? The one everyone says I should try. What’s it called? Adolpho’s?”

“Yes, sir,” Jenny murmured. “I believe so. I’ll call right now.”

“Jenny?” His secretary stopped with her hand on the door. “Let me know what he says, okay?”

“Of course,” she nodded.

Clint slipped in as she was going out, smiling at Steve as he crossed the room. He sat in the seat across from him, his head tipped to one side, examining his friend. “You okay?”

“Headache,” Steve muttered.

“Hangover,” Clint corrected, chuckling under his breath.

Steve glared at him. “Fuck you.”

“I’ve known you since college, Steve. That’s your hangover face. Were you out late with Bucky?”

“Maybe,” Steve shrugged. “Have you forgotten that my personal life is just that? Personal.”

“So, you’re still seeing him?” Clint asked.

Steve’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. Why?”

“Did you have Sam look into him like I asked?”

“No,” Steve shook his head. “I decided not to.”

“But, Steve -”

Steve cut him off with a look, his blue eyes flashing in irritation. Clint’s mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat. “I, uh, brought the Stark file. He’s got his software company working on integrating the building. It’s quite the project from what I understand.” He set the file on the desk in front of Steve. “I’ve got a few things to finish up before the meeting. I’ll see you there.”

After the door closed behind his friend, Steve threw his pen on the desk, rose to his feet, and crossed the room. He took off his jacket, threw it over the chair, and laid down on the couch. He would just close his eyes for a few minutes. That’s all he needed. Just five minutes.

* * *

“Bucky, I know you’re angry -”

“Angry, Liam? I don’t think angry comes close to describing how I’m feeling right now,” Bucky huffed. “We agreed that the people we dated wouldn’t meet Madi until it was serious and not until we discussed it.”

“George and I are serious,” Liam interrupted. “We’ve been dating for six months.”

“And you didn’t think to discuss it with me or tell me about him?” Bucky snapped.

“We aren’t together anymore!”

“Jesus, Liam, you think this is about us? Do you honestly think I’m jealous? This has nothing to do with you and me. Absolutely nothing. If this man is a part of Madi’s life in any way, I have a right to know. The fact that I had to find out from our daughter is ridiculous.”

“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. It was just like Liam to try and twist this around and make it about him. Every time. “This isn’t about me, Liam. It’s about you hiding a relationship from me, bringing a stranger into our daughter’s life without a thought as to how I would feel about it. Or how it would affect Madison.”

“I always put Madison first,” Liam muttered.

“I’m not sure that’s true anymore,” Bucky sighed. “Look, I’m done talking about this over the phone. I need some time to cool off. I’ll call you in a couple of days, we can meet for coffee to talk then. Goodbye, Liam.” He hung up and dropped his phone to the desk.

Bucky had never been so angry with Liam, never, not even during the worst days of their marriage. His complete lack of concern for Madison and for following through with the things they’d agreed would be best for her had Bucky seeing red. Add that to the exhaustion he felt thanks to Steve’s impromptu visit, and his workload; it was no wonder he was in a bad mood.

When his phone vibrated on his desk, he didn’t bother to look at it, he just snatched it up, growling out an angry hello, assuming it must be Liam calling to apologize. Again.

“James?” the woman’s voice questioned.

“Yes, sorry,” he responded. “Who is this?”

“My name is Jenny. I’m Mr. Rogers’ personal assistant. He asked me to call you.”

“O-okay,” Bucky mumbled. “Sorry about biting your head off. It’s...it’s...well, I’ve had a pretty crappy day.”

“No worries, James,” Jenny responded. 

Bucky could hear the smile in her voice and it put him at ease, though he couldn’t help but wonder if this was a break up call of some kind. “What can I do for you, Jenny?”

“Mr. Rogers asked me to call you and arrange an early dinner, tonight at Adolpho’s. Are you available around six?”

“I am,” he replied.

“Very good,” Jenny said, all business. “His car will pick you up around five-thirty. Does that work for you?”

“Yes ma’am,” Bucky said. He gave her his work address before thanking her and disconnecting. He held the phone in his hand for a few seconds, staring at it, then he quickly typed out a message.

_ Thank you for the dinner invitation. _

_ Thanks for accepting. I really am sorry about last night. I plan on spoiling you rotten until you accept my apology. _

_ Dinner at Adolpho’s is a great start. _

_ Just the beginning, Buck. I’ll see you in a few hours _ .

At least Bucky’s day had taken a turn for the better, thanks to Steve. He was grateful to have something to look forward to, especially with the day he was having. He wasn’t really angry with Steve, not after talking with him the night before. It scared him that he seemed to have a soft spot for the man who was supposed to be nothing more than a sugar daddy. He could only hope that those feelings didn’t grow any stronger or he was in for a world of hurt. He got attached too easily and too quickly. He was afraid that he was already headed down that path with Steve and he couldn’t see it ending well. Falling in love wasn’t part of the arrangement.


	7. A Weekend Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky go away for the weekend.

 

Steve felt like an asshole.

He was running late, really late. He’d texted Bucky to let him know he was on his way, but that had been almost fifteen minutes ago and at that point, he’d already been forty-five minutes late. So, he was an hour late and the flowers he was clutching in his hand did not seem like enough to make up for all the stupid shit he’d done in the last twenty-four hours. 

The restaurant was quiet when he stepped through the door, his eyes darting around the room in an attempt to find Bucky.

“Mr. Rogers?”

“Yes?” The hostess was young and attractive, staring up at him with a knowing smile on her face.

“Mr. Barnes is waiting at your table. If you’ll follow me?”

Steve followed her through the restaurant to a secluded table against the wall. Bucky was watching him walk toward the table, an unreadable expression on his face, a glass of red wine in his hand. There was no one else in close proximity, the other tables empty. He murmured his thanks to the hostess and eased into the seat beside Bucky.

“Hi,” he smiled and set the flowers at Bucky’s elbow.

“You’re late,” Bucky murmured.

“I know,” Steve sighed. “I’m sorry. Things at work got away from me. I’ve got this client and we’re building him this massive tower and he’s very specific and…” He paused and blew out a breath. “And now I’m making excuses. Look, I’m sorry I’m late.”

Bucky smiled at him, that smile that lit up his whole face, and Steve felt something in his chest let go, and for the first time since he’d left Bucky’s apartment last night, he relaxed. He grabbed Bucky’s hand and squeezed gently.

“I really am sorry, Buck. For everything.”

“Will you stop apologizing already?” Bucky said. “I thought we hashed this out last night? Speaking of which, how’s your head?”

“Pounding,” Steve laughed. “Absolutely pounding. Hand me that wine.”

Bucky laughed, but he poured Steve a glass of wine, then he picked up the flowers, held them to his nose for a second, the smile still on his face before he set them down and turned to Steve.

“As long as we’re apologizing, I wanted to apologize again for not telling you about Madi Bec. I guess...I guess I didn’t think it was relative to us. I should have told you. I hope this doesn’t change anything between us.”

“Well, it does make you exponentially more attractive,” Steve teased. “You seem like a really great father. Madi is very lucky.”

Bucky blushed. “I’m the lucky one. She’s amazing, the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you for understanding.”

“So, she’s why you’re not available every other weekend?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Bucky said. “I won’t give up my weekends with my daughter.”

God, that was about the sexiest thing Steve had ever heard. He hadn’t been lying when he’d said being a father made Bucky exponentially more attractive. He’d thought it last night and the thought had stayed with him all day. It made his heart clench in a way it never had, made him consider possibilities he never had, made him imagine scenarios that were too Norman Rockwellish to be coming out of his brain. And every one of those scenarios had Bucky front and center, living a life with Steve he’d never considered before. What the hell was this kid doing to him?

Steve cleared his throat and shook himself free of those thoughts, pushing them aside to examine later. He leaned forward, his elbows on the table, an idea suddenly occurring to him. “So, you’re free this weekend, right?”

“I am,” Bucky nodded.

“What do you say we get away for the weekend? Just you and me? Let me spoil you rotten and make up for being a huge ass.”

Bucky closed his eyes and sighed. “God, that sounds amazing.” He opened his eyes and suddenly Steve was drowning in the ice blue orbs. It was at that moment that he realized he would do anything for Bucky, anything to see him smile, anything to make him happy.

And there it was again, the scenarios playing on a loop in his head. He was so far down the rabbit hole he couldn’t see daylight. 

Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat and did his best to push down the emotions rising to the surface, threatening to spill out of his mouth. He clamped his mouth shut and waited for Bucky’s answer.

“I’d love to go away with you this weekend,” Bucky grinned. “How could I say no to being spoiled by you?”

He breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure why he’d thought Bucky would say no, but for a brief second, he’d had the terrifying thought that Bucky might get up and walk out. He leaned close, his hand sliding around the back of Bucky’s head, pulling him close so he could brush a kiss across his lips.

“I can’t wait to spoil you,” Steve whispered.

********************

Bucky stepped off the ferry, his bag slung over his shoulder, sunglasses on, Steve right behind him, his hand in the center of Bucky’s back.

“We’re staying at Dune Point,” Steve said, pointing to his right. “We can check in at the end of the dock.”

Bucky was grateful for the sunglasses he was wearing because he was sure he looked like an idiot, eyes darting everywhere, trying to take in everything at once. He’d never been to Fire Island, even though he’d grown up in Brooklyn, just a couple of hours away. This was his first visit and it was overwhelming. There were people everywhere, things to do, things to experience; he thought his head might explode from trying to take it all in. He followed Steve into a quaint little office right off the dock, standing off to one side while he checked them in.

Once he had their room key in hand, Steve gestured for Bucky to follow him. Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in front of a beautiful beach house with a sign that said Dune Point Guesthouse. Bucky was grateful that Steve had told him to pack light, seeing as how he’d had to lug his stuff across the island to their hotel.

“Once we’re settled, I thought we’d go grab some dinner,” Steve suggested. “There’s this great restaurant called Top of the Bar, it’s one of my favorites.”

“That sounds great,” Bucky murmured.

Their room, located in the main house, was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful wooden floors, a four-poster bed, and a small kitchen. Bucky dropped his bag to the floor and stopped in front of the door that opened to a deck with an oceanfront view. He couldn’t look away.

Steve stepped up behind him and slid his arms around Bucky’s waist, his chin resting on Bucky’s shoulder. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered. “Have you ever been here?”

“No,” Bucky sighed. “Never.”

“Well, there goes my plan to keep you inside for the next two days,” Steve chuckled. “Guess I’ll have to let you out to see some of the sights.”

Bucky turned in his arms, laughing. “You bet your ass you’ll let me out. You promised to spoil me rotten, remember?”

“I remember,” Steve smirked. He brushed a kiss across Bucky’s lips and sighed. “Alright, let’s go grab dinner.”

The restaurant was perfect, of course. They sat where they could see the sunset, enjoying the cool night air. Bucky ate until he couldn’t breathe and drank until he was half-drunk. He was relaxed and happy, for the first time all week.

“God, that food was amazing,” he grinned, pushing his empty dessert plate away and grabbing his beer. He downed it in two swallows, noting that Steve was staring at him and licking his lips. “What?”

“I’ve missed you,” Steve shrugged, a wolfish grin splitting his face.

Bucky felt a blush rising in his cheeks; he’d missed Steve, too. It had been a long week, one in which he and Steve had not been able to see each other much. Aside from dinner Monday night and a quick lunch on Wednesday, they hadn’t spent any time together. Steve had been completely absorbed in whatever project he was currently working on, which included a lot of late nights and a lot of meetings. He’d done it so they could spend the weekend together without any interruptions.

“I missed you, too,” he murmured, picking at the label on his beer bottle. He really had missed Steve, he’d been desperate for the weekend to arrive, desperate to spend time with him.

Steve reached across the table and put his hand on Bucky’s, squeezing gently. Bucky turned his over and laced his fingers together with Steve’s. 

“How about we go for a walk on the beach?” Steve asked.

Bucky shook his head. That wasn’t what he wanted to do. The beach could wait. Right now, he wanted Steve. “Tomorrow. Let’s go back to the room.”

*******************

Bucky was on him the second the door closed behind them, pushing Steve across the room until his back hit the wooden countertop. He fumbled with the buttons on Steve’s shirt, yanking it out of his pants as he pushed him toward the bed. Once he had the buttons undone enough that he could rip it over Steve’s head, that’s exactly what he did, pulling it off and tossing it aside. By the time they reached the queen size bed on the other side of the room, Steve was down to his boxer briefs and Bucky was shirtless with his pants unbuttoned.

They fell to the bed in a tangle of limbs, laughing, Bucky’s mouth slanted over Steve’s. He tasted like beer and mint gum and Steve was drunk from the taste of him.

Bucky slid down Steve’s body, pressing hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses along his torso, his hand inside Steve’s underwear, wrapped around his cock, stroking it slowly. Steve panted and moaned, writhing under his touch. He tangled his fingers in Bucky’s hair, tugging slightly, earning himself a moan in return. Bucky looked up at him, his blue eyes sparkling, then he lunged, catching Steve’s lips in his own, kissing him breathless as he straddled him.

“Jesus, Buck,” Steve gasped as Bucky’s weight settled on him, his ass brushing against Steve’s rock hard cock. “Get your ass out of those clothes. Now.”

Bucky rolled off of Steve and quickly kicked off his pants and underwear, then he snatched the lube and condoms from the bedside table where Steve had tossed them earlier. He rolled back to Steve, but before he could do anything, Steve was on top of him, his hand on Bucky’s throat, tightening just a little. 

He moaned, his hand wrapped around Steve’s wrist. Jesus Christ, who knew he liked that shit.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” Steve murmured.

“Fuck, no,” Bucky moaned.

Steve leaned over, his mouth pressed to Bucky’s ear. “I have an idea. If you don’t want to do it, we don’t have to. But, you might like it.”

Bucky nodded. He was willing to try anything once, especially with Steve.

The older man grinned, then he climbed off of Bucky, snatched the lube from his hand, and sat against the headboard. He patted the space between his legs.

“Come on, your back to my front,” he ordered.

Bucky did as he was told, scrambling to sit between Steve’s muscular thighs. Steve slid his arms around him, his lips drifting over the back of Bucky’s neck. His head fell back on Steve’s shoulder, a contented hum vibrating through him.

“Give me your hand.”

Bucky held out his hand, jumping a little when the cold lube coated his fingers. “What am I doing with this?” he murmured.

“Open yourself up for me,” Steve whispered in his ear. “Show me how you do it.”

Heat roared through every one of Bucky’s nerve endings, setting him on fire. He groaned low in the back of his throat.

“If you don’t want to -”

“No, no, I want to,” Bucky interrupted him. “I just, Jesus, Steve, you’re a kinky bastard.”

“Oh, baby, this is nothing,” Steve chuckled. He nipped at the lobe of Bucky’s ear, then licked it gently. “This is just the start. Now, are you gonna do it or not? Because I’ve got other ideas…”

Bucky turned his head and kissed him, cutting him off again. He closed his eyes, forced himself to relax, and pushed his hand between his legs, sliding past his cock, a hiss leaving him when it jumped with interest, and over his balls, briefly, then he circled his tight hole with the tip of his finger, moaning.

Steve rested his chin on Bucky’s shoulders and his hands on his thighs, though not where Bucky desperately wanted them. His mouth was still pressed to Bucky’s ear, his breath hot against his skin. Bucky eased his middle finger into himself, his legs falling open and his hips coming off the bed as he leaned back against Steve.

“Oh, Jesus,” he gasped.

Steve placed his hand over Bucky’s, his breathing speeding up as Bucky slowly pumped it in and out of himself. He growled when Bucky’s stiff cock brushed against his arm, but he still didn’t touch him.

“More,” Steve ordered.

Bucky added a second finger, slowing his movements some more as he adjusted to the addition of another digit. He bit his lip, stopping himself from begging Steve to touch him. He was panting, his legs thrown wide, his body burning with need, two fingers thrusting deep, his cock so hard it was painful.

“Steve,” he moaned.

“Mmm, I know, babe,” Steve purred, “I know.” He wrapped his hand around Bucky’s aching cock, stroking him slowly. “One more, Buck.”

“I can’t,” he whined. “I can’t or I’ll come.”

“Yeah, you can,” Steve whispered. “You do it for me and I promise you that I’ll make you feel so good.” As if to prove his point, he dragged his fingers up Bucky’s cock, twisting his hand slightly just before swiping his thumb over the tip.

Tears leaked from the corners of Bucky’s eyes with the effort to keep himself in check, to not spill over Steve’s hand. He threw his head back, closed his eyes, and eased a third finger into himself.

“Fuck,” Bucky gasped. He definitely wasn’t going to last much longer.

He moved, fucking himself on his fingers, urged on by Steve whispering in his ear. He didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, all that he could think about was getting off, all he could feel was the pleasure racing through his body.

“Enough,” Steve grunted, sliding out from behind Bucky and turning to face him. He sat on his knees between Bucky’s legs, rolled the condom down his length, and slathered himself with lube. He leaned over Bucky, one hand behind his head, holding him close as he kissed him while he used his other hand to guide himself into him; taking his time, despite Bucky being prepped and ready, he wanted to give him time to adjust, time to fully take him in.

Once he was fully seated, he held himself still, kissing Bucky, intentionally holding back. Even though he wanted to pound Bucky into the mattress, he also wanted to take it slow, savor every second with the younger man. Bucky dug his fingers into Steve’s ass and groaned, tugging at Steve’s lower lip with his teeth, begging him to move.

Steve slid his hand up the back of Bucky’s leg, took a deep breath, pulled back just a little, then he let loose, slamming forward, plunging deep into Bucky, driving the breath out of him, his grip on Bucky’s leg bruisingly tight. He wasn’t going to last long and he didn’t think Bucky would either, not after what he’d done. He closed his eyes and let the emotions take him, pouring everything he was feeling - every confusing feeling, every insecurity, every doubt - into that moment.

Bucky keened, Steve’s name a curse on his lips, his hand around his cock, pumping it as he came, his eyes rolling back in his head. Steve was right behind him, thrusting several more times, groaning loudly when Bucky tensed around him, pulling an intense, mind-blowing orgasm out of him.

He was pretty sure he blacked out from sheer pleasure, several minutes passing before he realized that he was sprawled over Bucky, pressing him into the mattress. Not that Bucky was complaining; his eyes were closed, his hair falling over his face, his fingers tracing the curve of Steve’s back.

Steve pushed himself to his elbows. “God, Buck, I’m squashing you. Sorry.” He rolled off of Bucky and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled off the condom and tossed it in the trash. He thought about going to the bathroom, maybe get them a couple of drinks, but Bucky grabbed his arm.

“Come back here,” he mumbled sleepily.

Steve laid down beside him, grinning when Bucky slid across the bed, pulled Steve’s arm around his body, and laid his head on his chest. He hummed contentedly and closed his eyes. Steve kissed the top of his head and brushed his hair off his face.

“Good night, Buck,” he whispered.


	8. A Change to the Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky’s relationship takes a drastic turn.

 

Steve eased out from under the weight of Bucky’s arm and climbed out of bed. He padded through the studio apartment to the bathroom and closed the door. He took a few minutes to wash his face and brush his teeth, then he pulled on his jeans, a t-shirt, and his sweatshirt, grabbed his wallet, and slipped out of the room. Thirty minutes later, he was back, a bag of pastries and two hot coffees in hand.

Bucky was awake, his hair a mess, wearing just a pair of sweatpants and the shirt Steve had on the previous night, still looking half asleep and thoroughly fucked. Steve could get used to seeing him like that.

“Breakfast,” he smiled, kicking the door shut behind him.

Bucky grunted and pushed himself to his feet. He shut off the soccer game he was watching then he plucked one of the cups of coffee from Steve’s hand and took a sip.

“Mmm, thank you,” he hummed. He pressed a kiss to the corner of Steve’s mouth. “I don’t feel human until I’ve had coffee.” He stifled a yawn with the back of his hand.

“You still tired?” Steve asked. He pulled a plate from the cupboard and laid out the pastries.

“Someone kept me up late,” Bucky murmured with a wink.

“Hmm, I didn’t hear you protesting,” Steve chuckled. “So, what do you want to do today?”

“The beach?” Bucky shrugged. “I don’t care, whatever you want to do.”

“No, this weekend is for you,” Steve said. “You get to decide what we’re doing. That way if you hate it, it’s all on you, babe.”

Bucky tried to keep a straight face, but he failed miserably. He shook his head and laughed, then he snatched one of the danishes off the tray and took a huge bite.

“Beach.”

“Beach it is,” Steve agreed.

The beach was beautiful and only a short walk from their door. After they finished the pastries and coffee, they changed into swim trunks and t-shirts before spending the next few hours in the sun. It was beautiful out, not too hot, a little cloudy, keeping it just cool enough that they were able to enjoy being outside. Not that Steve needed the weather to be nice to enjoy spending time with Bucky. They could have been anywhere, doing anything, as long as he was with Bucky, he’d be happy.

The realization that Bucky made him happy, happier than he’d been in months, in  _ years _ , had occurred to him that morning while he’d stood in line at the bakery, wondering how Bucky took his coffee. He wanted to know everything about Bucky - what he liked, what he hated, what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, all of it. Every single thing. Maybe it was time to rethink this arrangement and make a little more...permanent.

“Hey, Buck?”

“Hmm?” he hummed, opening one eye to look at Steve.

“I thought we could take a walk around the island. I’d love to take a look at some of the architecture.”

“Nerd,” Bucky mumbled.

Steve shook his head and laughed. “I know. But some of it is beautiful! I found this web site -”

“You spend too much time on the internet,” Bucky joked.

“Hey, that’s how I found you.” Steve took his hand, holding it loosely in his.

Bucky laughed, his head thrown back, his whole body shaking. “You got me. I have no argument for that.” He sat on the edge of his chaise lounge, leaned over Steve, and kissed his cheek. “I’m gonna go shower, get the sand and salt water off of me.” He was twenty steps away when he turned around, walking backward through the sand. “You should join me.”

* * *

While he’d teased Steve about looking at the island’s architecture, Bucky was actually enjoying himself, mostly because Steve was having such a good time. He was like a kid in a candy shop, smiling, pointing, laughing, even taking notes in a little black, leather notebook he carried in his pocket. It was hard not to have fun when Steve was so excited.

God, he was having a fantastic time, better than he’d thought possible. And it didn’t have anything to do with the money or being spoiled rotten, it was Steve. As long as he was with Steve, he was happy. Really happy, happier than he’d been in a long time. The thought scared him and excited him at the same time.

“There is this great pizza place, Cherry Grove Pizza, just around the corner. What do you say we grab some pizza, then maybe ice cream? If you want?”

“That sounds great,” Bucky smiled.

Steve fidgeted through most of the meal and while they walked down the street to Sweet Licks - barely chuckling at Bucky’s sexual innuendo regarding the ice cream parlor. They ordered a couple of cones then returned to the boardwalk, strolling through the crowds.

“Steve, what is wrong?”

“N-nothing,” he shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“Then why did your voice get all high and squeaky when you said ‘I’m fine’?” Bucky teased.

“I just...I need to talk to you about something.” Steve looked around, grabbed Bucky by the elbow, and dragged him down an alley, away from the crowds. He leaned Bucky against the wall, his hand by his head. 

“Steve, what is going on?” Now, it was his voice that was high and squeaky. Bucky had a funny feeling that this was it, that Steve was going to end their arrangement and it made Bucky sick to his stomach. He didn’t want it to end. Ever.

“This thing between us -”

“Our arrangement,” Bucky murmured.

“I think we should...I’d like it to be more than...than what it is,” Steve whispered.

“What are you saying?” Bucky asked.

Steve closed his eyes, his forehead resting against Bucky’s as he spoke. “What I’m saying is I’d like to make this more a “you’re my actual boyfriend” thing than an “I’m paying you to be my pretend boyfriend” thing. I’m happy when I’m with you, Bucky, happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

“Y-yeah?” Bucky stammered.

“Yeah,” Steve whispered. “I’d like you to be a permanent fixture in my life, not just an arrangement to make my life easier. You snuck up on me and made me fall for you, babe. And I hope...I really hope you’re starting to feel the same way about me. And if you do, let’s give this a chance. Not as a sugar daddy and a sugar baby…”

“God, I hate those terms,” Bucky snickered.

“Me, too,” Steve laughed. He blew out a stuttering breath. “So, what do you think?”

“You and me, huh?”

“You and me,” Steve shrugged.

“Hell, yes,” Bucky growled. He grabbed Steve’s head with both hands, pulling him down into a kiss that seemed to go on forever and ended too soon at the same time. In fact, he would have kissed him all night if his phone hadn’t chosen that moment to ring.

“Shit,” he grumbled, yanking his phone from his pocket. He stabbed at the button without looking at it and put it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Bucky?”

“Liam? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Madison. She’s in the hospital.”


	9. Arranging a Way Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky rushes back to the city to be with his daughter.

 

It took three phone calls and less than half an hour for Steve to charter a helicopter to come to the island to pick them up. The entire time he was working on getting the helicopter to them, Bucky was on the phone with Liam, pacing the room, so worried about his daughter that Steve could feel it radiating off of him.

Once he had everything arranged, he hurried to pack their things, throwing them in their duffle bags. It didn’t take him long to get everything together. He set everything by the door and turned to find Bucky perched on the edge of a chair, his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

“Hey, Buck,” he murmured, kneeling in front of the younger man. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Bucky swiped at the tears streaming down his face and smiled weakly. “That’s my little girl,” he murmured.

“What did Liam say?” Steve prompted.

Bucky blew out a shaky breath, gripping Steve’s hands so tight that it hurt, but Steve wasn’t about to let him go. He nodded, encouraging him to speak.

“Madi and Liam met Liam’s boyfriend George at the Met. I guess...I guess Liam got called to work, some emergency with the case he’s working on, so George offered to take Madi home. Except he didn’t have a booster seat for her in his car, so he just buckled her in the back. He got sideswiped on Madi’s side of the car.”

“Oh, Jesus, Buck, is she okay?”

“Cuts and bruises. The doctor is afraid she might have a concussion, so he wants to keep her overnight for observation. He’s not sure how severe it is and he doesn’t want to take any chances.” Bucky pushed a hand through his hair. “It’s my fault, Steve.”

“What?”

“Liam tried to call me to pick her up,” Bucky whispered. “If I’d been there, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Bucky -”

“Look, Steve, this weekend has been great and...and…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “You must hate me.”

“Not even a little,” Steve sighed. “And don’t you dare for one minute think I do.”

“I’m so sorry about the weekend and after you just told me what you did -”

“Stop apologizing,” Steve said. “If we’re really gonna do this actual boyfriends thing, then we get all the stuff that goes with it. Now, let’s go. We’ve got a helicopter to catch.”

* * *

Bucky couldn’t even begin to imagine how much Steve had spent to charter them a private helicopter to get him back to the city to see Madi. Not to mention dragging Peter out of bed at midnight to pick them up and drive them to the hospital. 

He’d tried to insist that Steve go home, get some rest, take a break. “It won’t upset me Steve, I swear. I don’t expect you to come with me. You’ve done so much already.”

“Nonsense,” Steve brushed him off. “I’m going.” He took Bucky’s hand and held it tightly.

Outside the hospital entrance, Bucky squared his shoulders, tightened his grip on Steve’s hand, and marched through the doors straight to the receptionist’s desk.

“I’m here to see my daughter, Madison Barnes-Wilmouth. I’m her father, James Barnes.”

“Of course, Mr. Barnes,” the receptionist said, typing on the computer in front of her. “She’s in room 603.”

“Thank you.”

Bucky’s foot tapped incessantly on the elevator floor as it inched past the floors, looking at his watch every couple of seconds. Steve slipped an arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his temple.

He stepped out of the doors before they’d even opened all the way, Steve in tow. He could see Liam at the end of the hall, along with a man he didn’t recognize. George.

“Liam,” Bucky called.

“Bucky, you’re here,” Liam said. “I didn’t think you’d make it off Fire Island tonight.”

“How’s Madi?” Bucky asked.

“She’s sore,” Liam explained. “Lots of cuts and bruises. The doctor said she does have a mild concussion, but she’ll be okay in a few days.”

Bucky glared at George over Liam’s shoulder. “I thought we discussed this.” He was desperately holding onto his sanity and doing his best to keep his anger in check. What he really wanted to do was tackle George to the ground and choke the shit out of him.

“Can we not do this here, Buck?” Liam muttered.

“My daughter is in the hospital,” Bucky snapped, pointing at the door to Madi’s hospital room.

“She’s my daughter, too,” Liam growled.

“Bucky,” Steve murmured, his hand on Bucky’s arm.

“I’m getting a lawyer, Liam.”

“You can’t afford a lawyer,” his ex-husband snorted. “Until you can, we aren’t discussing this. I am Madi’s custodial parent and my decisions are final. This was an accident Bucky. An accident. They happen. Besides, if you’d been home -”

“Do not blame this on Bucky,” Steve interjected.

Liam turned on Steve. “Who the hell are you?”

Before Bucky could say anything, Steve straightened to his full height, towering over Liam, irritation flashing in his blue eyes. He held out his hand. “I’m Steve Rogers. Bucky’s boyfriend.”

God, the words felt right when Steve said them and boy, did Bucky like the sound of them. He stepped closer to Steve, his hand in the middle of his back.

“The fact that Madison was hurt in an accident has absolutely nothing to do with Bucky,” Steve continued, “and everything to do with you. You’re feeling guilty because you put work before your child, let her knowingly get into a vehicle that wasn’t safe for her, with someone she barely knows, and she got hurt. Now, you’re trying to shift the blame to Bucky and I won’t stand here and let you do that.” He took his wallet from his back pocket, pulled free a couple of cards, and handed them to Liam. “That card on the top is  _ my _ lawyer, who is now Bucky’s lawyer, and the other is mine. I’m sure Bucky would want  _ you _ to know everything about the man he is bringing into your daughter’s life. Feel free to call me any time you have any questions. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I’m sure Bucky would like to see Madison.”

Without another word, Steve ushered Bucky into Madison’s hospital room and quietly closed the door. Bucky didn’t bother to thank him because his heart was suddenly in his throat, the sight of his daughter in a hospital bed with wires connected to her and a monitor beeping by her head nearly did him in. He hurried to her side, sat gingerly on the side of the bed, leaned over, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She stirred, though she didn’t open her eyes. Bucky took her hand and held it loosely in his.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” he whispered. “If something had happened to her -”

Steve put his arm around Bucky, his hand on his leg, squeezing gently. “It’s okay, Buck. She’s okay.”

Bucky nodded. “I know. It just...without you, I’d be sitting on that island worried sick.”

“Without me, you wouldn’t have been on the island,” Steve sighed. 

“We could do this forever,” Bucky said. “Go around and around about what happened, who’s at fault, the what ifs and the if onlys, but all that matters is that Madi is okay and I’m here now.” He put his hand over Steve’s. “We’re here now.” He kissed his cheek. “I can’t wait to introduce you to her, Steve. Properly introduce you. She’s going to love you.”

* * *

**_One Week Later_ **

Steve took a drink from the bottle of beer in his hand. “It’s the third time he’s moved the presentation, Clint. We’ve been ready for weeks. What’s the holdup?”

“Stark hasn’t really said,” Clint shrugged. “Something about the software integration for the building and getting everything perfect.”

“Well, all I can say is thank God we’re ready,” Steve said.

The elevator doors slid open and a little girl's voice echoed through the apartment. Clint looked over at him, one eyebrow raised.

“Company?”

Steve made a face at Clint, set his beer on the counter, and hurried through the apartment to greet Bucky and Madison.

“Daddy, this place is gigantic!” Madi exclaimed. “Mr. Rogers must be rich!”

“Madison Rebecca,” Steve heard Bucky admonish his daughter.

Madison and Bucky were standing in front of the wall of glass, looking out across the city. Madi bounced on her toes, a huge smile on her face, clutching Bucky’s hand. 

“Hi,” Steve said.

Bucky spun around, a huge smile splitting his face. “Hi, Steve. Madison, this is Daddy’s friend Mr. Rogers.”

Madison eyed him up and down, then she held out her hand. “Hello, I’m Madison.”

Steve crouched in front of her. “How do you do, Madison? I’m Steve.”

“Daddy said I have to call you Mr. Rogers,” Madi insisted.

“Well, if Daddy says it’s okay to call me Steve, then I’m okay with it,” he chuckled. “But only if your daddy says it’s okay.”

Madison looked at Bucky, one eyebrow raised. Steve held back his laughter because damn, she looked just like Bucky when she did that.

“It’s okay,” Bucky chuckled.

“So, Madi,” Steve said, “I understand you like pizza?”

“I  _ love _ pizza!” Madi laughed.

“Good, because my friend Peter should be back any minute with pizza for us. And I believe one of them is a ham and pineapple pizza.”

“My favorite!” Madi squealed, jumping up and down.

Steve pointed toward the kitchen. “If you go in there, you’ll see a small red refrigerator. It is filled with all the juice boxes I could think to buy. Those are for you.”

The little girl’s eyes had gone wide. “Really?”

“Really,” Steve nodded.

“Yes!” She took off at a run, hurrying through the apartment to the kitchen. Steve could hear her squealing with delight as she rummaged through the small refrigerator.

“Thank you,” Bucky murmured, pressing a kiss to Steve’s cheek.

“My pleasure,” Steve laughed. “How’d things go with Fury?

“That man is a force to be reckoned with,” Bucky replied. “Which makes him perfect. He’s going to draw up a preliminary agreement for me to look over.”

“Fury? Your lawyer?” Clint interrupted.

“Bucky, you remember my friend Clint?”

“Of course.” Clint and Bucky shook hands then Bucky excused himself to check on Madison.

Clint crossed his arms and glared at Steve. “Why is he talking to your lawyer, Steve? What the hell is that about? And since when did he have a kid? What the hell have you gotten yourself into? Are you sure about that guy? I’m starting to worry about you.”

Steve ignored Clint’s questions, stalked across the room to the elevator, and punched the button several times. “Thanks for coming up, Clint. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

“That’s it? You’re just going to dismiss me without answering any questions?”

“Yes,” Steve nodded, ushering Clint into the elevator. “And for the one-millionth time, Barton, I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.”

Clint stepped into the elevator and leaned against the wall. “We’re talking about this tomorrow. Whether you want to or not.”

The door slid closed, cutting off Clint’s irritating voice. Steve knew he’d have to answer all of his friend’s questions tomorrow, but for tonight, he was going to enjoy his time with Bucky and get to know Madison.

The little girl must have known that Steve was thinking about her because she suddenly appeared at his side. She took his hand and tugged, pulling him toward the kitchen. “Daddy said to come and get you.”

“He did, did he?” Steve laughed.

“Can I tell you a secret, Mr. Rogers?” Madi asked him.

Steve knelt in front of her. “Only if you call me Steve.”

Madi giggled and nodded her head. She looked over her shoulder, put her hand beside her mouth, and leaned close to Steve. “My daddy really likes you. He told me so in the elevator. But I’m not supposed to tell you because he don’t want to mess things up.”

“Well, you know what, Miss Madi? I really like your daddy,” Steve grinned. “And I don’t even care if you tell him.”

Madi spun on her heels and skipped back to the kitchen, her laughter filling the room. It had never occurred to him that the sound of a child’s laughter would be such a welcome sound, but hearing Madi’s giggles echoing off of his apartment walls made him deliriously happy. The only thing better was Bucky’s laughter joining his daughter’s. Steve was beginning to hope that those sounds would be around for a long time.


	10. Arrangement Canceled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint butts in where he doesn’t belong, making things difficult for Steve and Bucky.

 

Steve was surprised when the day passed and Clint didn’t show up in his office, demanding answers about Bucky and Madison. He was also relieved. He didn’t feel the need to explain his relationship with Bucky to Clint, best friend or not.

“Mr. Rogers?” Jenny’s voice came from the phone on his desk.

“Yes, Jenny.”

“You have a visitor, sir.”

Steve sighed. His reprieve was apparently over. “Is it Clint? Because if it is, tell him I’m busy and I can’t meet with him right now.”

“No sir, it’s Mr. Barnes.” Steve could hear the smile on her face.

“Send him in.” Now Steve was smiling. He pushed himself out from behind his desk and was halfway across the room when Jenny opened the door and ushered Bucky inside. She winked at him as she pulled the door shut.

Steve met Bucky in the middle of the room, wrapping the younger man in his arms and kissing him until he couldn’t catch his breath. Bucky laughed when they broke apart.

“Well, hi there.”

“Hi,” Steve grinned. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to come to say thank you for everything. Getting me back to New York last week, standing up to Liam at the hospital, your lawyer, but especially last night with Madi. She can not stop talking about you. I think she might like you more than she likes me. She’s already asking when we can go back and see you.” Bucky pushed a hand through his hair and shook his head. “You definitely won her over.”

“She’s a great little girl,” Steve said.

“You didn’t have to do all that,” Bucky murmured. “You really didn’t.”

Steve took Bucky’s hand and dragged him to the sofa against the wall. “I want her to feel welcome in my home. I’m hoping she’ll be spending a lot of time there with her dad.”

Bucky blushed and shook his head. “How’d I get so lucky?” he whispered.

“You’re just lucky you were so adorable,” Steve teased.

Bucky punched him lightly on the shoulder, a grin on his face. “You free for dinner?”

“I am,” Steve nodded. “Let me call Peter and we’ll go grab something.”

There was a knock on the door and then Clint burst in without waiting for an invitation, Jenny right behind him, apologizing profusely for the interruption. Steve rose to his feet, his arms crossed over his chest, ready to take on his best friend.

“Oh, good, the gold digger is here, too,” Clint said.

“What did you say?” Steve snarled.

Clint waved the manila folder in his hand at Steve and Bucky. “Sam did some digging for me.”

“I told you to let it go,” Steve snapped.

“And I didn’t listen,” Clint replied. “You’re a wealthy man, Steve, and I’ve had a bad feeling about you and this kid since the day I met him. I’m just looking out for you.” He cleared his throat and opened the folder. “James Buchanan Barnes, twenty-eight years old, graduated from Hofstra University with a software engineer design degree and a quarter of a million dollars in student loans. Married Liam Wilmouth right after college, in 2013. They adopted Madison Rebecca Barnes-Wilmouth on January 23, 2014. Divorced in 2017. Mr. Wilmouth was granted full custody with liberal visitation rights for Mr. Barnes.”

“That’s enough, Barton,” Steve growled.

“Oh, but I didn’t get to the best part,” Clint laughed. “James here is registered on the Simple Arrangements web site, a site for young, eligible men and women to find a wealthy benefactor willing to give them gifts and cash in exchange for a relationship. In other words, sugar babies and sugar daddies. It appears he has garnered quite a bit of interest on the site -”

Bucky, who had been staring at the ground between his feet, looked up and stared at Clint, his face tight and pinched. “I haven’t been on there since we met -” he murmured.

“And, according to his ex, Bucky is currently six months behind in his child support payments,” Clint continued. “He lives paycheck to paycheck, barely scraping by until he met you. Now all of a sudden, he’s catching up on those child support payments, he’s paid off his credit card debt, and he’s suddenly able to afford a high price lawyer to fight for a better custody arrangement for his daughter.”

Bucky rose to his feet. “You talked to Liam?” he gasped. “Please tell me you didn’t tell Liam any of this?”

Clint shrugged. “I have no idea what Sam told him. Does it matter? Your little game is over. You’re in this for the money, nothing more. I needed Steve to know the truth.”

Steve could see the tears in Bucky’s eyes as he ripped the cell phone from his pocket and stormed from the room, punching buttons on his way out. He turned to Clint, his fists clenched at his side.

“You son of a bitch,” Steve muttered.

“I’m just trying to protect you and your company, Steve. You’re not thinking clearly. Jesus, you’re thinking with your dick, not your brain. He’s a pretty face out for money. I mean shit, what kind of person puts themselves on a web site like that?”

“Me!” Steve shouted. “I’m on that site.  _ That’s _ how Bucky and I met, not at the gym.”

“Wh-what?” Clint stammered.

“Bucky and I met on the Simple Arrangement web site. I wanted a casual, no-strings-attached relationship and Bucky needed money. I’ve got it to spare. Going on that site was easier than picking up some random guy at a bar. I picked him, he agreed to meet me, and we started dating.”

“So, he is in it for the money,” Clint smirked.

“And I was in it for the sex,” Steve grumbled. “But, things changed. I want more, Clint, and I want it with Bucky. And so help me God, if you fucked that up for me, I’m going to kill you.”

“I didn’t know -”

“You didn’t listen,” Steve bit out. “I told you to let it go. I told you to trust me. Instead, you pulled in Sam and did exactly what I asked you not to do.” He stalked across the room and whipped open his office door. “Get out. Now.”

Clint scurried past him, mumbling apologies. Steve ignored him and barked for Jenny. She appeared at his side immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

“Where’s Bucky?”

“H-he left. He was on his phone, looked really upset. He hung up and told me to tell you he had to go. I’m sorry, sir, he didn’t say where he was going.”

“Could you get Peter please? Tell him I need him right away?” He hit the button on his phone to autodial Bucky, but it went straight to voicemail.

“Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered under his breath. He skipped the elevator and headed for the stairs, shouting over his shoulder at Jenny to tell Peter to meet him at the curb.

* * *

“What the hell is going on?” Wanda asked, following Bucky into their living room. “I thought you were going out with Steve? Why are you home and why the hell do you look so upset? Did you two get in a fight?”

Bucky shook his head, fighting back the tears. He’d been gnawing at his lower lip so much it was bleeding, his heart felt like it might pound out of his chest, and he was sweating bullets. Steve had been calling him non-stop since he’d left his office and he kept sending him to voicemail. He was trying to process everything that had happened and he couldn’t talk to Steve right now.

“Bucky! Talk to me!” Wanda’s voice broke through the haze he’d slipped into. He dropped to the couch, his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead right above his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on.

“Barton, that guy that works for Steve? He had some guy look into me and he found out about Simple Arrangements. He confronted Steve while I was there.”

“So,” Wanda murmured, drawing out the word. “Big deal. Steve knows how you two met.”

“Apparently, this guy, Sam, called Liam, who doesn’t know,” Bucky sighed. “I don’t know if Sam said anything to him, so I called my lawyer as soon as I could. Fury is worried that if Liam finds out, he’ll use it against me in the custody proceedings.”

“We just have to make sure he doesn’t find out,” Wanda shrugged.

“If I’m with Steve, it’s going to come out eventually,” Bucky muttered. “He’s a public figure, one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, on the board of half a dozen charities, architect to the stars. Someone will find out and make it public. If Liam finds out, he’ll use it to keep Madi Bec away from me. You know he will.”

“When did Liam turn into such an ass?” Wanda grumbled.

“I don’t know. Maybe when he started dating that George guy?” Bucky sighed. “Does it matter? He doesn’t want our custody arrangement to change. If he finds out I started dating Steve for money, he’ll turn me into some kind of evil whore willing to sell my soul for a few dollars who isn’t fit to have custody of our five-year-old daughter.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“No,” Bucky said, “that’s the worst-case scenario.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I think I have to end things with Steve,” Bucky whispered, pushing a hand through his hair.

Wanda put a hand on his arm. “Bucky, no. You and Steve are in a good place.”

“Weren’t you the one telling me I shouldn’t date him?” Bucky scoffed.

“Yes,” Wanda nodded. “But that was before...well, before everything. I’ve never seen you this happy and I know it’s because of Steve.”

“I can’t lose my daughter, Wanda.”

“I know, but do you want to lose Steve? I think you two have a chance at something really great. There has to be a way out of this.”

Bucky shoved himself to his feet. “Let me know if you think of something.” He slammed his bedroom door and threw himself face down on the bed. Unfortunately, the only thing he could think to do was break up with Steve and the thought of doing that made his stomach churn. Wanda was right, he really did have a chance at something great with Steve, he felt it in his bones. But the thought of giving up his daughter, of losing even one minute with her, tore him apart. He knew what he had to do.

His bedroom door flew open and of course, there was Steve, with Wanda right behind him. Bucky shot her a dirty look, but she just shrugged and walked away.

“You left,” Steve said.

“I didn’t need to be there listening to your friend tearing me apart,” Bucky muttered, “and accusing me of being a gold digger.”

Steve closed Bucky’s bedroom door and leaned against it. “It doesn’t matter what Clint said,” he murmured. “None of that was a surprise to me. You know that.” 

“I know,” he sighed.

Steve sank down to the bed beside him and slipped one arm around Bucky and took his hand with the other. “Then what’s wrong? Why did you take off?”

“Sam called Liam.”

“That’s what I thought it might be,” Steve nodded. “I talked to Sam on my way over here and he assured me he didn’t tell Liam  _ why _ he was calling, just that he was doing a background check on you. That’s it.”

“I called Nick,” Bucky explained.

“Why did you call Fury?”

“Because I needed to know what might happen if Liam found out how we met, in particular, if he found out I was on that web site. I told Nick everything.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that he could use it against me, that it could be easily twisted around to make me into something I’m not.” Bucky glanced at Steve. “We started dating because I needed money, Steve. How do you think that looks?”

“Liam doesn’t know,” Steve stressed.

“What if he finds out?” Bucky whispered. “Then what? I lose my daughter?”

“God, no,” Steve shook his head. “That won’t happen -”

“But it could,” Bucky interrupted him. He scrubbed a hand over his face and through his hair. He closed his eyes. “I think...I think maybe it’s best if we stop seeing each other.”

Steve’s grip on his hand tightened, painfully. “That doesn’t solve anything.”

“It makes it less likely that Liam finds out about Simple Arrangement,” Bucky whispered. “Because it will come out, you know it as well as I do. I can’t take that chance. If we break up now, maybe, just maybe, we can walk away before we become public and people start to question how we met, question why we’re together, and some nosy reporter puts it together and outs us. Or one of your so-called friends mentions it in front of the wrong people. And I lose my daughter.”

“Bucky, please. I’ll think of something. Just, give me a chance to figure it out, a chance to make this right.”

“You can’t. We didn’t do anything wrong, we just...we just went about this whole thing ass-backward and now it could cost me the most important thing in my life,” Bucky said. He pushed himself to his feet, out of Steve’s arms, and crossed the room to stand by the window.

“You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?” Steve whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky murmured, wrapping his arms around himself. “I’m so sorry. God, Steve, I don’t want to do this. If there was any other way -”

Steve slowly rose to his feet and came to stand beside him. He cupped the back of Bucky’s head, his fingers tangling in his hair, and pressed a kiss to Bucky’s cheek. Without a word, he turned and left, leaving Bucky standing alone in his room, staring out the window into the darkening night.


	11. A Work Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky miss each other terribly.

 

“Steve?”

“Go away, Clint,” Steve muttered, “I didn’t give you a key card to the elevator so you could come up here whenever you want.” He poured another drink from the bottle of scotch in his hand.

“I came to apologize,” Clint sighed.

“Too little, too late,” Steve mumbled. His head hurt. He downed the amber liquid in the glass and refilled it from the bottle. “Get out.”

The overhead light came on, momentarily blinding him. Natasha and Clint stood by the elevator doors, both of them looking thoroughly ashamed, as they should. He took a sip from the glass of scotch and pointed at the elevator with the same hand, liquid sloshing over the side of the glass.

“Both of you can leave,” he snapped. “But before you go, you’ll be happy to know that Bucky broke things off with me. My fortune is safe, thanks to your meddling. I’m fucking pissed as hell, but hey, the gold digger won’t get my money.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Natasha asked.

“Yes,” Steve growled. “Leave. Now.”

Instead of doing as he asked, both Nat and Clint came further into the room. “I screwed up, Steve. I thought I was being a good friend. I should have talked to you before I sent Sam after Bucky. I thought you were blinded by lust -”

“Because that  _ is _ my personality,” Steve snapped. “I’m always diving into things head first without thinking, right?”

“Your sarcasm is unnecessary, Steve,” Nat muttered. “We get it. Clint screwed up, with my encouragement. If we could fix it, we would.”

“Well, you can’t, so why don’t you leave me alone and let me get drunk in peace.”

The light went off and silence descended as the elevator door closed behind his friends. Former friends. Steve finished off the scotch and let the bottle fall from his fingers to the floor then he stretched out across the sofa, one arm thrown over his eyes. Maybe if he went to sleep, he’d forget about Bucky and Madison and the shambles his life had suddenly become.

Not that he’d be able to sleep; he hadn’t slept in days, not since Bucky had ended things with him. He’d been holed up in his apartment, drinking himself into a stupor, passing out for a couple of hours - not the same as sleeping - and then repeating the cycle. He almost called Bucky at least a hundred times, only to set his phone down without doing anything. At this point, he wasn’t even sure what day it was or what time it was. All he knew was that he was miserable and pissed. He’d yelled at Jenny when she’d called, bit off Sam’s head, and now he’d kicked out his best friend and his wife. At the rate he was going, he wouldn’t have anyone left in life. Which didn’t bother him, not after losing Bucky.

His phone vibrated from the coffee table. He snatched it up quickly, praying it was Bucky. 

“Rogers?”

“Fury?” He pushed himself upright, his head spinning unmercifully, gorge rising. “Why are you calling me?”

“James told me what happened,” his lawyer said.

_ Bucky, he prefers to be called Bucky _ .

“He did?” he said out loud.

“He did,” Fury continued. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think it will come out.”

“That’s not what Bucky thinks,” Steve muttered.

“I know,” Fury replied. “Liam is not as...vindictive as James thinks. I believe he is thinking in terms of the worst-case scenario.”

“Understandable,” Steve nodded, even though Nick couldn’t see him. “It’s his daughter, Nick. While I don’t have any experience with something like this, I can appreciate his mindset. That little girl is the most important thing in the world to him and he doesn’t want to lose her.”

“You’re not wrong,” Nick said. “But, I think Liam could be reasoned with, though James doesn’t seem to be willing to try. At this point, he’s just fighting for a better custody arrangement.”

“What are you saying?” Steve murmured.

“I’m saying that I believe if someone talks to Liam, tells him the truth, reasons with him, it won’t go as badly as James seems to think. That’s all.”

Steve took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I think I understand what you’re saying.”

“Good,” Fury said. “It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Steve. Have a good night.”

The call disconnected before Steve could say anything else.

* * *

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes, tomorrow,” Coulson said. “If you have plans for the weekend, you’ll have to cancel them.”

“No, no plans,” Bucky sighed. If he was still with Steve he would most definitely have plans, but since he wasn’t and Madi Bec would be with Liam for the weekend, his plans involved sitting at home and wallowing in his own misery.

“Good,” Phil nodded, patting Bucky on the shoulder. “I’ll have Maria get you the details.”

Once Phil was gone, he put his head in his hands and moaned. He had a horrible headache, so bad he couldn’t concentrate on work. No surprise since he’d been awake all night rethinking every decision he’d made in the last two months. Especially the decision to break up with Steve. God, he missed him so much he literally ached. He missed his stupid grammatically correct text messages, his “I’m the boss so don’t argue with me” attitude, his ridiculously gorgeous blue eyes, even that damn smirk he got on his face when he got his way. He missed the way the man would wrap his arms around him and make everything better, make him forget all of his worries.

Bucky had picked his phone up half a dozen times to text him, to call him, something, only to set it back down without doing anything. He had to get over this, move past it. Except this wasn’t like anything he’d ever experienced before. Divorcing Liam had been a walk in the park compared to this.

His computer chimed with an incoming message, reminding him that he was at work. It was from Coulson’s assistant, Maria, filled with details about the work weekend. He was going to have to ask Wanda to borrow her car for the drive.

Bucky spent the next few hours preparing his presentation, his nerves ratcheting up at the thought of standing in front of a group of investors and convincing them that his ideas were actually quite brilliant. This presentation could mean a big promotion, and with Steve out of the picture, he desperately needed it.

By the time he got home, well after midnight, he was running on coffee and adrenaline. It had been a bitch of a day, what with the struggle to stay awake and focus, and to his surprise, a seemingly constant stream of text messages and phone calls from Liam that started sometime after lunch, begging Bucky to talk to him. After checking in with Madi’s babysitter to make sure she was okay, he ignored them. He had nothing to say to his ex-husband if it didn’t pertain to their daughter.

He stumbled through the dark apartment, doing his best not to wake up Wanda. He went to the kitchen and drank a glass of scotch, praying it would knock him out so he could get some sleep, because if he didn’t, his presentation was going to be nothing but garbage. Bucky fell into his bed with a heavy sigh, pulled the blanket over his head and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

“Are you okay, Mr. Rogers?” Peter asked, looking at his boss in the rearview mirror. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I’m okay,” Steve shrugged. “Or I will be. Once I get this weekend over with, I’ll be fine. I hope.”

“Worried about the presentation?”

“Not really,” Steve said, waving his hand in the air. “I could do that in my sleep. It’s more of an issue with my personal life.”

Peter nodded, though he didn’t ask any questions. Steve was sure that he was perfectly aware that he and Bucky were on the outs, after all, he’d been the one to drive Steve home after Bucky had broken things off with him, and there had been an obvious lack of Bucky in Steve’s life during the last week.

Steve leaned his head against the back of the seat and closed his eyes. He had taken steps to remedy that situation; he just had to talk to Bucky. Unfortunately, Tony Stark had picked this weekend for the Tower presentation, so he’d had to drop everything to get ready for it. At least it had kept him occupied so he wasn’t sitting around wondering what Bucky was up to.

“We’re here, Mr. Rogers,” Peter said.

Steve sat up so suddenly his head spun. He hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep. He scrubbed a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted a drink. Fortunately, the alcohol flowed freely whenever Tony Stark hosted an event. 

Speaking of Tony, he was waiting for Steve at the end of the sidewalk leading to his opulent Southhampton home.

“You’re late,” he smirked as Steve stepped out of the SUV.

“Nice to see you, too, Tony,” Steve chuckled, shaking the multi-billionaire’s hand. “How’ve you been?”

“Good,” Tony said. “I”m ecstatic that we’re finally getting this thing off the ground. I can’t wait for the investors to see your plans for the Tower.”

“And I can’t wait to hear about the software integration,” Steve replied.

“Well, the presentation is set to begin in an hour,” Tony smiled. “I’ll let you get settled and then we’ll get started.” A tall, lanky man appeared at Tony’s side. “This is Jarvis. He’ll show you to your room.”

Steve thanked Tony, then he followed Jarvis up the stairs to a tastefully decorated bedroom. He tossed his duffle bag on the bed and opened it, digging through it to find his favorite, lucky tie, the one he always wore for important presentations. A lot of money and several other business ventures hinged on things going well. Despite the problems in his personal life, he still had a company to run and money to make.

At the bottom of the bag, his hand closed around a medium-sized box, a box he had forgotten was there. He pulled it out and opened it, the sight of it like a punch to the gut.

It was a watch, a silver and black Tag Heuer that he had bought for Bucky before their trip to Fire Island. He hadn’t taken it out of his bag after they’d gotten back and in the craziness that had followed he’d forgotten to give it to him.

Steve snapped the box shut and closed his eyes, the box pressed to the center of his forehead. God, he missed Bucky so much it physically hurt. Somehow he was going to make this right. He was determined to make it right.

He set the watch on the bedside table and ducked into the bathroom. He changed his tie and made sure his hair wasn’t standing on end, then he grabbed his phone and texted Clint to make sure the model and blueprints had been set up properly. Once he received an affirmative answer from his chief financial officer, he grabbed his notes and headed downstairs to find Tony and the investors.

Steve found Clint at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him. “Ready boss?” Clint asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied. “Everything all set up?”

“Yeah, they’re just waiting on their golden boy software engineer to come down.” Clint led him to the back of the house, pointing to an outdoor terrace on the other side of the living room. “Everybody is out there.”

“Alright, give me five minutes, okay?”

“You got it,” Clint nodded. “See you in a few.”

Steve sat on the edge of the couch, his head in his hands, going over everything in his head, prepping himself for the presentation.

“What the hell?”

Steve shot to his feet, his eyes wide and his mouth open in surprise. “Bucky?”

“St-steve?” the younger man stammered. “What...what are you doing here?” He shook his head and pushed his hand through his hair. “You’re the architect on Mr. Stark’s Tower project, aren’t you?”

Steve nodded. “You work for Stark? Jesus, I’m an idiot. Of course you do. I should have known that.”

“And I should have known that Mr. Stark would only hire the best,” Bucky murmured. He cleared his throat. “How...how have you been?”

Steve glanced around the room, but no one else was in the general vicinity, everyone else was on the terrace. He hurried across the room, stopping just inches away from Bucky. “Honestly? I’ve been terrible, Buck. I miss you.”

“Steve,” Bucky sighed.

“Tell me you don’t miss me and I’ll leave you alone.”

Bucky shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered. “Jesus, I miss you so much.”

“So what are we doing, huh?” Steve sighed. “If we’re both miserable and we know what to do to fix it, why aren’t we fixing it?”

Jarvis stepped through the open terrace door. “Mr. Rogers? They’re ready for you. And you as well, Mr. Barnes.”

“This isn’t over,” Steve whispered. He squeezed Bucky’s arm, spun around, and marched outside, determined to put on the best presentation possible. Then, he could tell Bucky he loved him and stop both of them from making the biggest mistake of their lives.


	12. A New Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work weekend in the Hamptons

 

“Congratulations, James,” Mr. Stark said. “The work you’ve done on this project is above reproach. I’m extremely impressed.”

Bucky wanted to scream and shout, jump and down and make a fool of himself, but instead, he calmly shook Tony Stark’s hand and smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Stark. It’s been a pleasure working on this project. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“I’d like you to come up and see me on Monday morning,” Tony continued. “Make an appointment with Ms. Potts before you leave for the weekend. I think we need to discuss your future with my company.” He patted Bucky on the shoulder and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Bucky with his mouth hanging open and his heart attempting to beat out of his chest.

Bucky grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray on one of the nearby tables and drank it down in several swallows. It seemed as if everyone was coming up to talk to him and congratulate him, people he knew and people he didn’t know. He would barely finish speaking to one person before another was waiting in the wings to speak to him. The presentation had gone better than anything he had imagined.

“Bucky?”

He turned, his smile instantly fading away. Clint Barton stood at his elbow, a sheepish grin on his face.

“May I talk to you for a minute?”

Bucky sighed, his eyes darting around for rescue, but for the first time since his presentation had ended, he was alone.

“For a minute,” he nodded, a sense of dread replacing his euphoria.

Clint stepped out the open door onto the terrace, gesturing for Bucky to follow him. They’d only gone a few steps when Bucky stopped and crossed his arms over his chest.

“What do you want, Barton?” he muttered. He braced himself for another tirade about him being a golddigger and only after Steve’s money. He could only hope Clint chewed him out quickly and moved on before anyone heard him.

“I wanted to apologize to you,” Clint said, turning to look at him, mirroring Bucky’s stance. “I shouldn’t have interfered…”

Regardless of what Clint said, Bucky didn’t trust him. “No, you shouldn’t have interfered,” he agreed vehemently. “But you did. And it’s caused a lot of problems.” Bucky felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to be here, talking to this man who was supposedly Steve’s best friend. A man who had nearly cost him his daughter and was the reason he had lost the man he was falling in love with. He fought back the tears threatening to fall, straightened his shoulders, and forced himself to look Clint in the eye. “Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

“Don’t give up on Steve, Bucky,” Clint said, shocking Bucky to his core. He certainly hadn’t been expecting that. “He’s a good man, the best. And with you, he’s even better. Just do me a favor, hold on to him and don’t let go.” He glanced at something over Bucky’s shoulder before excusing himself, pushing past Bucky to go back inside.

Bucky knew he was there without turning around, his presence was so strong, so commanding. Bucky took a deep breath and turned, his heart stuttering in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Steve stood less than a foot away from him, intently watching Bucky. He was so close that Bucky could smell the light scent of his cologne. It took all of his self-control to not fall into his arms and sob against his shoulder.

“Hi,” Steve murmured.

“H-hi,” he replied. He swallowed past the lump rising in his throat and took a deep breath, pushing the words out before he couldn’t speak. “The building looks amazing. It’s going to be beautiful.” Maybe if he stuck to work-related topics, he could walk away with his dignity, and his heart, intact.

“Thank you,” Steve smiled. “The software integration should be equally amazing. I’m impressed with what you’ve done. I see big things on the horizon for you.”

Bucky blushed, his eyes on the floor. He felt like he was back on his first date with Steve, unsure of himself, unsure of where he stood. He pushed a hand through his hair and sighed.

“I was wondering if we could talk?” Steve said.

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “Is there really anything to talk about? It won’t change anything.”

“Steve?” Tony stood in the doorway, looking between the two of them, one eyebrow raised. “I was wondering if you have a minute?”

Steve plastered a smile on his face and turned to their host. “Of course,” he said. “I was just congratulating James on a job well done.”

“Impressive work, wasn’t it?” Tony boasted. “Kid’s got a future.”

“A bright one at that,” Steve nodded.

Tony led Steve away, leaving Bucky alone on the brightly lit terrace. He took a minute to catch his breath before heading back inside. If he was going to make it through the rest of the night, he needed a drink. Several drinks. He went straight to the bar and ordered a scotch. He had a feeling it would be the first of many.

* * *

Steve spent the rest of the evening trying to get away from the crowds, but once Tony had a hold of him, there was no escape. He wouldn’t be deterred as he escorted Steve around the room, introducing him to a multitude of people, several of whom expressed an interest in hiring his architecture firm. By the time he was able to escape, hours later, Bucky was nowhere to be seen.

He trudged up the stairs after saying his good nights, desperate for a minute alone. The evening had been a success, but his heart was still heavy. He needed to talk to Bucky, but he’d completely lost track of him, catching only the occasional glimpse of him, usually surrounded by people. As the night progressed, he resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t get a moment alone with the younger man.

Once he was finally alone in his room, he shucked off clothes and shoes, dropping them in a messy pile on top of his suitcase. He didn’t have the energy to put them away. He needed a hot shower and sleep, and a chance to wash away his worries about Bucky and their future. He’d just started the water in the shower when he heard a knock on the bedroom door. He was going to ignore it until he heard a familiar voice say his name, barely loud enough to be heard over the sound of running water.

Forgetting that he was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, Steve yanked open the door. Bucky stood in the doorway, his mouth hanging open. 

“Jesus Christ, Steve,” he growled, eyeing him up and down. “Really?”

Steve glanced down, a blush heating his cheeks as he realized that he was standing in the open doorway in just his underwear and he could hear voices coming up the stairs. He grabbed Bucky by the elbow, yanked him inside, and shut the door. He pushed Bucky against the door, his body flush against the younger man’s, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

“God, I missed you,” Steve murmured.

“I only came here to talk,” Bucky whispered, shaking his head, though his body language said otherwise. His cheeks were flushed and his hands were on Steve’s hips, holding him tight, his body curving into Steve’s, molded against him. Steve could feel his arousal against his hip.

He gripped the back of Bucky’s head, his fingers tangled in his hair, and dragged him close, slanting his mouth over Buck’s, desperate to taste him, all of him, to feel him underneath him, skin to skin.

“I’ve had too much to drink,” Bucky sighed, turning his head away from Steve’s kiss, dropping it to stare at the floor. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come up here. But you said you wanted to talk to me...and...I don’t know, I’m drunk and I missed you.” He shrugged, his hands falling to his sides.

Steve took a step back, even though what he really wanted to do was throw Bucky on the bed and ravage him until dawn. He pushed a hand through his hair and blew out an exasperated breath. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I did want to talk to you.” He cleared his throat. “I called Liam.”

Bucky’s head snapped up. “You did what?”

“I called Liam and arranged a time for us to sit down and talk,” Steve explained. God, maybe he should have cleared this with Bucky first. But he’d been so desperate to fix things that when the thought occurred to him that he should just talk to Liam, he’d jumped in with both feet and run with it. Now, they had a meeting set up for Monday afternoon.

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I can’t do this, Buck. I can’t be without you. So, I’m going to tell Liam about us, explain how we met, and how we ended up together. I’m going to make him understand if it’s the last thing I do. No matter what it means for me personally or professionally.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Bucky murmured.

“Yes, I do,” Steve said. “I need to do this because I can not live without you. If I learned anything over the last week, it’s that I need you like I need air. I need you in my life Bucky, you and Madi Bec. If you’ll have me.”

* * *

He still wasn’t sure how he ended up standing in front of Steve’s closed bedroom door. He’d seen the older man start up the stairs, alone, and he was just drunk enough to follow him, hanging back a little, praying Steve would turn around and see him. When his bedroom door closed behind him without a glance back, Bucky decided maybe the best idea would be to go to his own room and sleep. Except something had him stopping in front of the closed bedroom door, his heart refusing to do as his brain commanded. He waited, hand poised to knock, wondering if it would be a mistake. He was going to walk away when he heard people coming up the stairs, and before he knew what was happening, he was knocking on the door and saying Steve’s name.

The door flew open and there was Steve, standing in front of him in a pair of black boxer briefs. The man was a god, his finely chiseled body begging to be touched and worshipped. Bucky swallowed around the lump rising in his throat.

“Jesus Christ, Steve,” he growled, unable to stop himself from leering at the older man. “Really?”

Steve had the decency to blush, though that didn’t stop him from grabbing Bucky by the elbow and yanking him inside. Before he knew what was happening, Steve had him pushed up against the door and he was kissing him.

“God, I missed you,” Steve murmured.

“I only came here to talk,” he whispered, but even he knew he was lying. His cheeks felt warm and he had a death grip on Steve’s hips, holding him close, his body molded to Steve’s and damn it if he didn’t feel his cock hardening even though Steve had only kissed him.

Steve apparently didn’t care because he gripped the back of Bucky’s head, tangled his fingers in his hair, and kissed him, his tongue pushing into Bucky’s mouth, teasing him, amping up his need for Steve to a near impossible-to-contain level.

Bucky gathered his wits about him and turned his head, breaking off the kiss. “I’ve had too much to drink. Maybe I shouldn’t have come up here, but you said you wanted to talk to me...and...I don’t know, I’m drunk and I missed you.” God, he couldn’t think straight with those damn blue eyes staring into his soul and while he tried to blame it on the alcohol, he knew that for the most part, he was sober. It was Steve who did him in, Steve he couldn’t resist.

Steve stepped back, pushed a hand through his hair, and blew out a shaky breath. God, all Bucky could think about was stepping back into his arms and letting Steve take him to bed to do with as he pleased, screw whatever conversation they needed to have. Bucky was craving him with every ounce of his being.

His thoughts were interrupted by Steve talking, though the only thing Bucky caught was something about him calling Liam.

“You did what?” His heart was about to pound out of his chest and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“I called Liam and arranged a time for us to sit down and talk,” Steve explained.

Bucky swallowed back the need to scream. “Why would you do that?” he asked.

The look on Steve’s face was one of pure despair and he was wringing his hands, though Bucky wasn’t sure he was aware he was doing it. He opened his mouth and the words tumbled out.

“Because I can’t do this, Buck. I can’t be without you. So, I’m going to tell Liam about us, explain how we met, and how we ended up together. I’m going to make him understand if it’s the last thing I do. No matter what it means for me personally or professionally.”

Bucky was taken aback. Steve was risking everything for him, for the chance to be with him. “You don’t have to do that,” he murmured.

“Yes, I do,” Steve said. “I need to do this because I can not live without you. If I learned anything over the last week, it’s that I need you like I need air. I need you in my life Bucky, you and Madi Bec. If you’ll have me.”

“God damn it,” Bucky mumbled. He shook his head and threw himself into Steve’s arms, forcing the older man back a couple of steps. He kissed him, wet, sloppy, perfect kisses that Steve eagerly returned. When they broke apart, the smile on Steve’s face would have powered the sun.

“You’re not upset with me?” he asked.

Bucky shook his head. “I probably should be, but that’s about the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” he laughed. “You big jerk.”

Steve laughed along with him. “Thank God, I thought for sure you’d be pissed.”

“No,” he chuckled. “Though, I do have one request. I’d like to be with you when you meet with Liam. I think we should do it together.”

“Deal,” Steve smirked.

Bucky tipped his head to one side. “Why do I hear water running?”

“Shit,” Steve muttered. “The shower. I was gonna jump in there before you showed up. Forgot about it.”

Bucky stripped off his jacket. “How about I join you?”

* * *

Steve thrust deeper, a moan leaving him as Bucky pushed back, gasping his name. He wrapped his hand around Bucky’s cock, stroking him roughly as he chased his release. The warm water rushed over them, plastering Bucky’s hair to his neck and cheek, his fingers scraping against the tile wall, desperately seeking something to hang onto. Steve growled, his teeth sinking into the juncture where Bucky’s neck and shoulder met, drawing an obscene cry from the younger man, the sound pushing him over the edge, a shudder racing through him as he came. He kept hold of Bucky, murmuring in his ear, stroking him until he spilled over Steve’s hand with a quiet groan, sagging against the wall when it was over.

Ten minutes later, they were lying across Steve’s bed, Bucky’s head tucked under his chin, their arms wrapped around each other. Steve had no intention of letting him go anytime soon. 

“I should go to my room,” Bucky mumbled sleepily.

“Stay here,” Steve whispered, his grip on the younger man tightening.

Bucky maneuvered himself out of Steve’s arms and stood up. “No,” he sighed. “I need to get back to my room. After this weekend, it won’t matter. But, it certainly wouldn’t look good if I was seen leaving your room in the morning wearing the same clothes. I don’t want anyone to think I called in any favors to get put on this project.”

“You’re right,” Steve agreed. “I didn’t even think about that.” He sat up, the box on the end table catching his eye. He grabbed it and turned it over several times in his hands. He cleared his throat. “I have something for you.”

Bucky stepped to the side of the bed, his shirt still unbuttoned, his bare chest enticing Steve. He wanted to run his tongue over those abs.

“Steve?” Bucky murmured.

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “Lost in thought.” He held the box out. “I bought this for you a while ago. It was at the bottom of my bag. I forgot it was in there.”

Bucky took it and opened it slowly, a gasp leaving him when he saw the watch. “I...I can’t accept this.”

“You can and you will,” Steve said. “Consider it an ‘I’m sorry my best friend is a dick’ apology gift. Seriously, Buck, I want you to have it. I bought it for you before our trip to Fire Island. It would mean a lot to me to see it on your wrist.”

Bucky pulled the watch out of the box and slipped it on. He admired it for a minute, then he threw himself at Steve, a wide smile on his face.

“God, you’re the best sugar daddy ever,” he said.

“Ugh, don’t use that term,” Steve joked.

“Okay, then, how about you’re the best boyfriend ever?” Bucky murmured.

“Better,” Steve growled, pulling Bucky into another kiss. His fingers drifted down Bucky’s abs and into the waistband of his pants. “Stay a little longer?”

Bucky nodded, even as Steve kissed a line down his throat, over his chest and stomach, his tongue darting out to lick at the v leading into his pants.

It was almost three in the morning before Bucky finally made it back to his room.


	13. A Lasting Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky has a meeting with Tony and another one with Liam. The boys make a decision about their future.

 

Bucky squeezed his hands together in his lap, praying he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. His eye fell to the watch on his wrist, his heart rate speeding up. It was absolutely perfect, totally his style, and every time he looked at, he felt calmer, more centered. Or maybe that was knowing that he and Steve were back together.

He’d stayed at Stark’s place in the Hamptons until late Saturday afternoon. He had barely been home fifteen minutes before Steve had knocked on the door. As soon as Wanda saw him, she’d muttered ‘Thank God’ and disappeared into her room. Ten minutes after that they were in the car on the way to Steve’s. They hadn’t left the apartment until this morning when they’d both had to go to work.

“Bucky?” Pepper Potts, Tony Stark’s assistant, and if office gossip was true, his girlfriend, was standing in front of him. He hadn’t even noticed her. He cleared his throat, feeling even more foolish.

“I-I’m sorry, Ms. Potts, what did you say?”

“Tony’s ready to see you.” Her smile was kind and put him at ease immediately. “Are you okay?”

“I’m a little nervous,” he sighed as he stood. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” Pepper said. “Or to be nervous. Just remember, Tony isn’t as intimidating he pretends to be. He is really just a big kid with a lot of money.”

Bucky chuckled, then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. Pepper laughed with him until they reached Stark’s closed office door then she put a finger over her lips and winked at him as she pushed open the door and ushered him inside.

“Bucky!” Stark smiled. “Good to see you! Come in and have a seat!”

Twenty minutes later, he left Tony’s office. Or maybe floated out of Tony’s office would be a better term. He’d just been given a promotion far larger than anything he had anticipated - a jump to a six-figure income, his own office, and his own division to run. His head was spinning and he thought he might throw up. He couldn’t wait to call Steve and tell him the good news.

Speaking of Steve, he only had a couple of hours until they were scheduled to meet with Liam. It was just enough time to pack up his cubicle and move upstairs, which Tony wanted him to do sooner rather than later. Once he was in the elevator, he yanked his phone from his pocket and dialed Steve’s private office number, one that only a few select people had access to and one that Bucky had been given this morning. According to Steve, Bucky would no longer have to jump through hoops to get in touch with him.

“Rogers,” he answered, his voice deep and authoritative. A knot of desire twisted in his stomach at the sound.

“Hey, Steve, it’s me.”

“Bucky, hi,” Steve breathed. “How are you? Did you have your meeting with Stark? Did everything go okay?”

“Steve, this is...it’s unbelievable. This is going to change everything for me and Madi Bec.” He quickly explained what had transpired between him and Stark, barely able to contain his excitement. By the time he finished, he was bouncing on his toes.

“I’m so proud of you, Buck,” Steve said. “Let’s go to dinner tonight to celebrate. Anywhere you want.”

“Your place,” he said immediately. “Let’s order food and stay in. I only need you.”

“Jesus, Buck,” Steve growled. “You can’t say stuff like that to me when I’m working.”

Bucky laughed. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I gotta go. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Peter will meet you in front of your building,” Steve said.

They said their goodbyes as the elevator came to a stop. He made his way through the cubicles to his, surprised to see a box already sitting in the center of his desk and Phil Coulson, his boss -  _ former _ boss he reminded himself - sitting in his chair.

“Congratulations, Bucky,” Phil smiled, rising to his feet. “You deserve that promotion.” He shook Bucky’s hand and slapped him on the shoulder. “You’re perfect for the job.”

Bucky breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been worried that Phil wouldn’t be happy for him, but his words put that to rest.

“Let’s get your desk packed up and move you upstairs,” Phil said.

“Sounds good,” Bucky said. He couldn’t wait to get started.

* * *

Steve was in his element. Liam had arrived fifteen minutes ago, but he’d had Jenny keep him waiting at her desk while he waited for Bucky to arrive. Peter had been instructed to bring Bucky up in his private elevator, which opened directly to Steve’s office. He had coffee and water available for everyone. But most importantly, he had Nick Fury waiting down the hall with Bucky’s completed custody paperwork, all ready for Liam to sign should the meeting go as Steve planned.

The elevator door slid open and Bucky stepped out, waving over his shoulder at Peter as the door slid closed.

Steve crossed the room in a couple of short strides, his hand landing on Bucky’s hip, tugging him close, their lips brushing together.

“Hi,” he murmured.

“Hi,” Bucky replied. “You ready for this?”

“Definitely,” Steve nodded. “You?”

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “It’s been a roller coaster of a day and this is just one more thing. What if Liam is an ass about this whole thing? What if he does make a big deal out of it and tries to get sole custody of Madi? I don’t think I could handle that.”

Despite both Steve’s and Nick’s reassurances that Liam wouldn’t be as vindictive as Bucky feared, the younger man couldn’t seem to let go of the idea that his ex-husband would demand sole custody of their daughter.

“Look, I know that I called this meeting with Liam,” Steve said, “so if you want me to do all the talking, I will. But this is your ex and your daughter, I’m just an outsider looking in. I want to make things right, make sure you and I get off on the right foot with your ex-husband. Nothing is more important to me than making sure I don’t screw up your relationship with Madi. So, I can be my typical control-freak self or I can sit over here in the corner quiet as a mouse.”

Bucky snorted, which made Steve laugh. “Having trouble picturing me being quiet, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Bucky chuckled. “That is so not your style.” He pushed a hand through his hair, tugging it away from his face. “Let’s play it by ear, what do you say?”

“Sounds good,” Steve said. “How about we get started?”

Bucky nodded, slipped into one of the seats at the conference table, and poured himself a glass of water with a shaking hand. Steve called Jenny and told her to bring Liam in, then he stood beside Bucky, his hand on his shoulder.

Jenny ushered Liam in, a scowl on his face. While that wasn’t a good way to start any meeting, Steve was very good at calming people down and getting what he wanted. He shook Liam’s hand and gestured for him to sit down, then he offered him something to drink. Liam and Bucky said hello and exchanged information about Madi, then silence descended over the room.

“So,” Steve rubbed his hands together. It looked like he was going to have to be the one to get the ball rolling. “Bucky and I brought you here to discuss how he and I met.”

“I don’t understand,” Liam said, a look of confusion crossing his face. “Why do I need to know that?”

“Because it wasn’t exactly conventional,” Bucky explained. “And I want you to hear it from me, not read it in some tabloid someday.”

“Okay,” Liam drew the word out. “Go ahead.”

Bucky took a deep breath and launched into the story of how he and Steve had met. Every now and then, Steve interjected with additional information, but for the most part, Bucky did all the talking. When he was done, he blew out a shaky breath and sat back in his chair.

“Unconventional is right,” Liam mumbled. He rubbed his hand up and down his pant leg, then he took a moment to look between Steve and Bucky. “So, this thing between the two of you? It’s no longer a business arrangement? It’s the real deal?”

“The real deal,” Steve said.

Liam shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I’m still not sure why you told me all of this.”

“Because I want to be completely transparent with you going into the new custody arrangement,” Bucky said. “Steve is a part of my life now. I wanted you to understand that.”

“Ah, so that’s what this is about. You’re rubbing his money in my face,” Liam snapped.

“Liam, it’s not like that,” Bucky muttered. He swallowed and glanced at Steve out of the corner of his eye. “I love him. We’re going to build a life together and that life is going to include Madi. I’m standing by the agreement we had to introduce our significant others to one another, especially if they were going to be a part of her life. That’s all I’m doing. I’m not trying to use Steve’s money or influence in any way. I promise you.”

“And you want a better custody agreement?”

“Of course I do,” Bucky said. “The original custody agreement was set up the way it was because I couldn’t afford to give her what she needs. But things are different now.” He held up his hand before Liam could interrupt. “ _ Not _ because of Steve’s money. I got a promotion at work today, a big one, one I suspected was coming, though it’s much bigger than I thought. It was enough that I can more than afford to give Madi what she needs. I want joint custody, Liam. I want Madi for more than a couple of weekends a month. That’s all I’m asking.”

Liam pursed his lips and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re an amazing father, Bucky. That was never in question. Ever. And if you want joint custody, I’m happy to give it to you. Our daughter loves you.” He looked at Steve and smiled. “And apparently she thinks you’re great. Who am I to say no? Call your lawyer. I’ll gladly sign the new custody agreement.”

A smile spread across Steve’s face. He hit the button on the intercom on the table. “Jenny, could you get Mr. Fury in here, please?”

“Wow,” Liam chuckled. “He moves fast, doesn’t he?”

“You have no idea,” Bucky smiled.

* * *

Bucky sank into the couch with a heavy sigh. It had been a crazy day. Good, but crazy. He’d dozed off in the car on the way home, slumped over with his head on Steve’s shoulder. He hadn’t realized just how tired he was until they were in the car on the way to Steve’s.

He glanced into the kitchen. Steve was at the counter, scooping Chinese food onto plates and grabbing beers from the fridge. Bucky needed to talk to him. He certainly hadn’t intended Steve to find out he was in love with him the way he did, but it had happened and there was no taking it back. Not that he wanted to take it back. But what scared him more than anything was that Steve hadn’t said anything about it, not one word. 

“Dinner is served,” Steve grinned, a tray piled high with their food and drinks in his hand. He set it on the table in front of Bucky then he sat down beside him. “You okay?” 

“Exhausted,” Bucky said, grabbing his beer and taking a long drink.

“Understandable,” Steve shrugged. “It was an emotional day. Especially that meeting with Liam.”

“I wanted to talk to you about that…”

“Oh?” Steve murmured.

Bucky sat up straight and cleared his throat. He couldn’t stop himself from fidgeting with the label on the beer bottle and the floor suddenly seemed very interesting to him. God, why was he having so much trouble getting out the words? It wasn’t like he didn’t know how he felt about Steve, or that he hadn’t already admitted it. But sitting here, trying to force the words past his lips was killing him. He set his beer down and pushed a hand through his hair.

“Bucky, you’re scaring me a little,” Steve mumbled.

“I love you,” he blurted.

Steve’s mouth dropped open and if Bucky wasn’t so scared that Steve was about to kick his ass out of the apartment, he would have laughed. He swallowed, the line of his throat moving, and Bucky wanted to scream as silence descended upon them.

“Steve, say something. Please,” he begged.

Steve slowly set his beer bottle on the table beside his food and turned to Bucky. “I love you, too,” he murmured. “I was so scared you said that to Liam to prove a point, or that I imagined it, or a million other things.”

“I didn’t, I swear.”

The words weren’t even out of his mouth before Steve tackled him to the couch, pulling Bucky beneath him, his lips slanting over the younger man’s, the kiss making him senseless with desire. He dug his fingers into Steve’s hips, tugging him closer, consumed with the need to have him as close as possible. He didn’t want this feeling to ever end.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting, their desire for each other a palpable, living thing, filling the room. Steve brushed his fingers down Bucky’s cheek, a smile on his face.

“Move in with me,” he said.

“Wh-what?” Bucky stammered.

“Move in with me,” Steve repeated. “I can’t stand the thought of being away from you for even one night. I want to see you every morning when I wake up and every night before I fall asleep. And there’s more than enough room for Madi. I have something like four empty bedrooms just begging to be filled. She could have her own room, whatever she wants -”

“You’re going to spoil her,” Bucky laughed.

“Is that a yes?” Steve smirked.

“It’s a hell yes,” Bucky laughed. He wrapped a hand around the back of Steve’s neck, pulling him back down, their lips a breath apart. “Now, where were we?”

“Right here,” Steve growled before sealing his mouth over Bucky’s.


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been three years since Steve and Bucky met.

 

**_Three Years Later_ **

“Hey, Mads,” Bucky said as the elevator door slid closed behind him. “Where’s Uncle Steve?”

Madi giggled and pointed over her shoulder toward the hallway and the bedrooms. “He’s trying to change Grant.”

“Where’s Peggy?”

Margaret “Peggy” Carter was their nanny, an old friend of Steve’s from college who had grown tired of her job in the corporate world. When they’d decided to adopt a baby, she had offered to be their nanny, saying she craved something new and different in her life. It was a match made in heaven. Madison loved her, she was available twenty-four/seven, and it allowed him and Steve to continue working while feeling comfortable with the person watching their six-month-old son and Madi. Plus, Peggy loved her new job. Even when he and Steve had been home in the weeks after Grant’s birth and adoption, she would drop by to see them and spend time with Grant, even sometimes taking Madi out for the day to help them out.

“She said she had a date,” Madi said. “She left as soon as Uncle Steve got home, told him that Grant needed to be changed and dressed for bed.” 

“So, it’s not going well?” Bucky asked.

“You know those words I’m not allowed to say?” Madi asked. “Uncle Steve is saying a lot of them.”

Bucky chuckled, kissed his daughter on the forehead, and made his way down the hall, his husband’s mumbled curses drifting toward him. He stopped at the edge of the door, leaned against the jamb, and watched Steve struggling to dress their very squirmy six-month-old son, who was screaming and crying.

“Hey, Mr. Rogers,” Bucky laughed. “How’s it going?”

Steve shook his head and laughed. He scooped Grant up and held him in one arm, his pajamas dangling off one foot, a smile spreading across the baby’s face when he saw Bucky.

“He was much easier to dress when he was a newborn,” Steve said, holding him out for Bucky to take. “Now, he won’t stop squirming. And hollering about it.”

Bucky plucked their son out of Steve’s arms. “Grant James Barnes-Rogers, are you giving your daddy a hard time?”

As if adding insult to injury, the baby giggled, which of course, made Bucky laugh and Steve grumble some more. He pressed a kiss to the top of the baby’s head, then he kissed Steve on the cheek and shooed him out of the room.

“Go get dinner on the table and I’ll be right there,” he ordered. “What are we having?”

“Madi wanted pizza,” Steve called over his shoulder.

Bucky shook his head. Anything Madi wanted, Madi got. Steve doted on that child and they shared a special bond that constantly amazed Bucky and one he hoped would never end. Two days after he’d moved in with Steve and Madi had come to visit, she’d started calling him “Uncle Steve” and they’d become almost inseparable. It was more than he could have asked for or hoped for when he found Steve.

Once he had Grant in his pajamas - though not without a struggle - he carried the baby to the kitchen, plopped him in his swing, and sat at the table with Steve and Madi.

“That boy is a menace,” Steve muttered around a mouthful of pizza, pointing at their grinning, cooing baby.

“Just like his father,” Bucky grinned.

Madi burst out laughing, spitting her food onto her plate. She apparently thought her father was hysterical. Once she got herself under control, Bucky asked her about her day, then he filled Steve and Madi in on how his latest project at work was progressing. Steve told them about the new building he was designing, inviting Madi down to his office to take a look. Over the last couple of years, she had become very interested in Steve’s work and designing buildings, so he took every opportunity to invite her to his office to learn about architecture.

“How about Peter picks you up from school tomorrow and brings you down to the office?” Steve said.

Madi nodded enthusiastically, a huge grin on her face. She finished her pizza and excused herself to finish her homework for the night, kissing both Bucky and Steve on their cheeks before skipping down the hall to her room.

Steve rose to his feet and began clearing the table while Bucky prepared Grant’s bedtime bottle. Once everything was ready, Bucky took Grant from his swing and followed Steve to the living room. He made himself comfortable on the couch, leaning against Steve while he gave Grant his bottle. Steve flipped through the channels, finally settling on a baseball game. He wrapped an arm around Bucky’s shoulders, careful not to jostle the baby, and pressed a kiss to his temple.

“So, I was thinking -” he murmured.

“Uh oh,” Bucky chuckled.

“Uh oh, what?” Steve grumbled.

“I get nervous when you say stuff like that,” Bucky grinned. “Last time you said ‘So, I was thinking’ you ended up buying that little house on Fire Island.”

Steve laughed and shrugged. “It’s not like I couldn’t afford it. Besides, you said you liked it.”

“I didn’t expect you to buy it, though,” Bucky muttered. “You spoil me.”

“I like spoiling you,” Steve whispered in his ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps to rise on Bucky’s skin. “But, speaking of Fire Island…”

Bucky glared playfully at Steve, but he couldn’t move thanks to the sleeping baby in his arms. “What did you do?”

“Since Madi will be with Liam next weekend, Peggy is going to stay with Grant so we can get away,” Steve said. “We haven’t had a weekend away since before his adoption and I thought it might be fun to spend some time alone.” He kissed the spot behind Bucky’s ear, the one that made him shiver with need. “What do you say?”

Bucky glanced at the baby sleeping in his arms, then he kissed the corner of Steve’s mouth. “That sounds amazing,” he sighed. “Absolutely amazing.”

Steve returned the kiss, a smirk on his full lips. “What do you say we get the kids in bed then  _ we _ can go to bed?”

“That sounds like a fantastic idea,” he grinned. “You take Madi and I’ll take care of Grant. Deal?”

“Deal,” Steve laughed.


End file.
